


The Birth of Wild Flower

by teknical_difficulties



Series: Heroes of Hatchetfield AU [3]
Category: Hatchetfield Universe - Team StarKid
Genre: Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, Angst with a Happy Ending, Gen, Kid Fic, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, but like... in the later chapters, but only in the first couple of chapters, me? starting another multi-chapter fic? it's more likely than you think!, there's gonna be actual superhero action in this one!
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-17
Updated: 2021-03-15
Packaged: 2021-03-15 16:21:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 20,950
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28816266
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/teknical_difficulties/pseuds/teknical_difficulties
Summary: Emma "Wild Flower" Perkins is one of the biggest superheroes in Hatchetfield, the self-proclaimed "Superhero Capital of the Midwest". But every superhero has to have an origin story, and Emma's is that of a young girl harboring a complex relationship with the words "destiny" and "duty", all while living in the shadow of her older sister.
Relationships: Emma Perkins & Jane Perkins
Series: Heroes of Hatchetfield AU [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2081343
Comments: 134
Kudos: 37





	1. A Powerful Revelation

**Author's Note:**

> "hey andie i thought u said u were going to write something about some of the supers mentioned in making the connection next-" _YES I KNOW._ But I wanted to do this first. I'm gonna alternate between writing chapters of this, and chapters of DTfiles. Soooo, yeah! Here we go!
> 
> **TW for this chapter: Periods, with blood shown and described.**

_July 14, 1993_

Summer mornings were never particularly pleasant for Emma. The humid air made it hard _enough_ to fall asleep at night, but even when she _did_ pass out at a reasonable time, she always awoke feeling sweaty and overheated. The ceiling fan in her bedroom wasn't the most reliable, so the only way she could combat this was to leave her window open overnight. But in a town like Hatchetfield- where super-powered criminals stalked the streets at night, sleeping with your window open was _basically_ the same thing as digging your own grave. At least, that's what Emma's dad always told her and her big sister Jane.

Today was another muggy morning, no surprise there. This was further emphasized by the sun streaming in through her window, casting it's light on Emma's bed. With a tired and irritable groan, Emma kicked her blanket aside and rolled over to look at the digital clock sitting on her nightstand. She figured it couldn't have been _that_ late in the morning. But the clock read 9:22 AM.

9:22... Jane should've come in to wake her by now... Normally, it would be Emma's _dad_ that woke her and called her down for breakfast, but he often forgot to do so during Summer break. So Jane took it upon herself to get Emma out of bed in the Summer, since Emma was apparently a _"notorious over-sleeper"_ , according to her dad. And she'd usually do it around 7:30, 8 o'clock at the _latest_. But not today... Emma felt a nervous fluttering in her stomach. Something was wrong. _Very_ wrong. Hoping that she was being paranoid and Jane had just slept-in, Emma sat up and hopped down from her bed before dashing to Jane's room just down the hall.

Emma stopped at the closed door as she was met with a variety of unusual sounds coming from the other side. A faint buzzing, the whir of a shaky ceiling fan, heavy breathing. _Jane's_ heavy breathing. The air around the door felt... forceful, and a little crackly. Like it was made up of TV static. And what's more, the light shining in from under the door was flickering on and off, as though the lamp in the room was broken. Emma staggered back, frightened and unsure how to proceed. But she had to be brave. Jane could be in trouble! So Emma took a deep breath, and raised a shaky fist to the door.

"J?" she piped up in a small voice, rapping her knuckles against the wood. She _hated_ how scared she sounded.

"E-Emmy...?" Jane's voice croaked out breathlessly from behind the door. Emma's heart sunk. She almost sounded like she was in _pain_. "Is that you?"

"Y-yeah, it's me," Emma stammered in reply. "What's going on?"

There was a long, _dreadful_ silence. Well, as silent as it could be with all the other sounds coming from the room. Then, Jane spoke up. "G-go get dad... _Please..._ " she whimpered. "It hurts..."

Without a moment's hesitation, Emma took off, racing down the stairs and to the kitchen. This was serious. Whatever was happening in there was _hurting_ her big sister. Despite how scared she was, Emma was _determined_ to get help for Jane. If she needed their dad, then that's who Emma would get. And as she reached the bottom of the stairwell, she saw their dad sitting at the kitchen table, reading the day's copy of the Hatchetfield Gazette with a mug of coffee in hand.

"Daddy!" she called, catching the man's attention.

"So she finally awakes!" he said in what was _probably_ supposed to be a playful manner. He smirked. "Think this might be the first time _you_ came down first..."

"Something's wrong with Jane!" Emma explained fretfully, ignoring her dad's observation.

Dad's face grew urgent, and he set his coffee down. "Wh-what do you mean?" he asked. Emma stood there, shaking like a leaf, unable to answer. "Sweetie, what's wrong with Jane?"

"I-I don't know!" she cried.

Without another word, Dad set the newspaper down on the table and stood from the table. Emma sped back up the stairs, and she heard Dad following close behind. She led him to Jane's bedroom door, and without so much as a knock, he opened it. The sight that greeted Emma when he did was like something out of a horror movie. The light from Jane's lamp and ceiling fan were flickering harshly, on and off, on and off. The fan _itself_ was on, spinning faster than any ceiling fan Emma had ever seen. It was shaking violently, like it'd fall from the ceiling at _any_ second. The faint buzzing that Emma had heard when she first approached the door was now _deafeningly_ loud, and the intense forcefulness of the air was _overwhelming_. Emma squeezed her eyes shut and clamped her hands over her ears, whimpering fearfully. She could feel tears streaming down her face, but she forced one eye open so she could see her sister.

She almost regretted opening her eyes when she saw Jane. She was curled up tightly, shaking in a compact ball as she clutched her stomach. Her face and hair were coated in sweat, and her eyes were wide with fear and pain, almost seeming to flash with a white light. Labored breaths and shaky cries escaped her, and Emma was just in _shock_. Jane Perkins, her cool and collected twelve year old sister, was shaking and crying in bed. Emma had _never_ seen her cry before. Even when their mother died, Jane had never cried around Emma. Whatever this was must've been the worst pain in the _world_.

Dad stepped forward, putting his hand on Jane's forehead. "Jane? Jane, are you okay, angel?" he asked shakily, raising his voice slightly so he could be heard over the buzzing.

Jane recoiled from her dad's touch. "D-daddy, it hurts..." she sniffled, clutching her comforter tightly. "I feel like I'm gonna be sick..."

"Then let's get you to the bathroom, okay darling?" Dad said, his voice soft and reassuring.

Jane nodded weakly. But when Dad cast her blanket aside, he jumped back in surprise. Emma stepped closer to see what had produced such a reaction from him, and was _horrified_ at what she saw. A massive blotch of red, staining Jane's pristine white bedsheets and even her pajama pants.

"You're bleeding!" Emma exclaimed in terror. She knew that whatever was happening to Jane was bad, but she didn't think it would be _this_ bad!

Dad, however, seemed to calm down. "Oh, sweetie, you're just getting your first period, that's all," he explained, confusing Emma further. Was this _normal!?_ "All girls go through this!"

"I-I-I _know_ that, dad! We learned about puberty in health class!" Jane retorted, sounding exasperated despite her pain. "But they didn't say anything about the lights going crazy!"

That appeared to give Dad pause. "I think... I have a theory about that," he said slowly. "But we need to get you to Dr. Redford's clinic to confirm it."

~

Only 10 in the morning, and Emma was already _so_ confused. Jane had been bleeding out on her bed, but Dad talked about it like it was _completely_ normal. Did that mean _Emma_ would go through something like that soon? The thought made her shudder. But weirder still was that the thing with the lights and the buzzing apparently _wasn't_ normal, and they needed to go to a clinic for it. Not the hospital, a _clinic_. The very same one that Emma and Jane went to for yearly check-ups and flu shots. Dr. Redford was _nice_ and all, but what would _she_ know about this?

And it's not like it was just in Jane's room, it had happened in _every room_ Jane went in after getting out of bed. The bathroom, the kitchen, the living room... Even the hallway and front porch lights went out of whack for a second! The car ride hadn't been very smooth either. Jane and Emma had sat in the backseat together. Jane was surprisingly calm, though clearly still in pain. Emma, however, was an emotional _wreck_. She was so confused and frightened, and she just wanted to know what on _Earth_ was going on! Weirder still, was that the car was acting up throughout the entire drive. The overhead lights flickered on and off, the windows opened and closed on their own, the radio switched between stations constantly, even the _windshield wipers_ turned on a few times! Emma couldn't have _imagined_ what that must've looked like to anyone passing by. Thankfully, whatever was happening didn't appear to affect the engine or anything like that, so they arrived at the clinic safely.

So now, Emma was sitting with her dad in the waiting room of the children's clinic, all while Dr. Redford checked on Jane. Emma tried to focus on an issue of Highlights that she'd pulled out at random from the waiting room's book rack, but her mind was still buzzing. And not just from the buzzing sound in Jane's room. She turned to her dad, and tugged on the sleeve of his t-shirt.

"Daddy?" she asked. "Why would Dr. Redford know what's wrong with Jane?"

Dad shuffled in his seat, seemingly thinking his next words over. "Dr. Redford has... _experience_ with stuff like this, sweetie," he explained gruffly. He looked to her, his eyes firm. "Jane's not the first person to go through something like this."

"She's not?" Emma gaped, awestruck.

Dad shook his head. "Nope," he replied. "I've known Dr. Redford since we were kids, so if Jane's case is what I _think_ it is, Dr. Redford will be able to tell us."

"But... _why?_ " Emma pressed further, not satisfied with her dad's answer.

But before Dad could answer, Dr. Redford stepped into the waiting room. Emma always liked Dr. Redford. She was kind and gentle, with a bright smile and a good sense of humor. She was the only doctor that Emma trusted to give her flu shots and vaccines. Needles frightened Emma, but Dr. Redford knew how to keep her calm while giving the shots. Emma and her dad looked to the doctor in anticipation.

"You two can come on back," she said. "I've got some good news."

So the two stood up and followed Dr. Redford to the room where Jane was being checked. When they got there, Jane was sitting up on the cushioned treatment table. Her pain from earlier seemed to have faded away, though she still looked very tired out. Nevertheless, she gave Emma and their dad a polite smile when they walked in. The overhead panel lights were pulsating, but not flickering like the ones in the house and the car had been. The two took a seat, and Dr. Redford shut the door behind them.

"So, Mr. Perkins," the doctor began, facing Dad. "You said that this was Jane's first period, correct?"

"First of all, we've known each other since grade school, Kara, you can _call_ me Fred," Dad pointed out. He cleared his throat. "Second of all, yes."

Dr. Redford chuckled. "Alright, _Fred,_ here's the situation," she said, pulling two laminated sheets from the nearby counter. "What I have here is two x-rays from separate patients I've had in the past, both taken after they started puberty."

She held up one sheet, showing a standard x-ray of a person's torso. "This one is of an ordinary girl who came in because of a stomach bug," she expounded. She set that one down, and held up the other. This one was... odd. Each bone seemed to glow with a golden light, and they almost looked... _stronger_ than the ones from the first x-ray. "And _this one_ is from a boy who was suddenly able to control fire after his voice dropped. This boy had the Nitro Gene."

Emma's eyes widened in shock. _Everyone_ knew about the Nitro Gene, it didn't matter who you were. The way Emma understood it, if you were born with the Nitro Gene, you'd get superpowers once you became a teenager. Some of the most famous superheroes in the _world_ were born with the Nitro Gene! It was a _big_ deal. Emma often heard other kids on the school playground talking about what powers _they'd_ want if they had it. But it was kinda rare. Usually, when one of her classmates claimed someone they knew had the Nitro Gene, they were lying. But what did this have to do with Jane?

"It's impossible to tell if someone has the Nitro Gene until they hit puberty," Dr. Redford continued, setting the other x-ray down. "Once they do, their powers awaken and their bones will appear to glow in x-rays such as that one."

"But Dr. Redford?" Emma piped up innocently, raising her hand as if she was in school. "What about Jane?"

Dr. Redford smiled. "I was just getting to that, sweetie," she assured her gently. The doctor pulled another sheet from the counter. "I took Jane's x-ray, and lo and behold!"

She displayed Jane's x-ray for them, and Emma gasped in shock. It looked almost _exactly_ like the x-ray of the boy with the Nitro Gene! The family of three grinned, looking to each other ecstatically. Dad laughed and stood from his chair, sauntering over to Jane with his arms open.

"My kid has the Nitro Gene!" he declared with a delighted laugh, scooping Jane up into a bear hug. Jane giggled with glee in return.

Emma stood from her own seat, jumping up and down excitedly. "Does this mean you're gonna be a _superhero_ , J?" she asked, looking up at her sister in awe.

"Maybe!" Jane exclaimed. She looked to Dr. Redford. "So, what _is_ my power exactly?"

"Well, on top of the enhanced durability that having an awakened Nitro Gene causes," Dr. Redford mused. "I believe you might be a technopath, Jane."

"A tekko- _what?_ " Emma attempted to repeat, baffled.

Dr. Redford smiled sweetly. "A technopath, dear," she told Emma. "It means that she can talk to and control machines and appliances with her mind."

 _"Wow..."_ the sisters gaped in unison.

Dad set Jane down, and Emma tackle-hugged her happily. She couldn't believe it. Jane was cool enough as is, but now she had _superpowers!_ And not just _any_ superpower! She could control machines with her _brain!_ There were so many possibilities with a power like that! Jane returned Emma's embrace, playfully ruffling her hair. This day had suddenly gone from one of the scariest days of Emma's life, to one of the _best_.

"And one more thing I should mention," Dr. Redford chimed in after letting the sisters have their moment. The three looked to her expectantly. "In cases where _one_ child has the Nitro Gene, it usually means that any _siblings_ of said child will _also_ have it."

The room went deadly quiet. Emma's heart began to race. Dad spoke up. "Kara, are you saying that...?"

"In all likelihood," the doctor said, looking down at the thunderstruck Emma. "You, Emma, will _also_ gain powers once you start puberty."

Before Emma could really process that statement, Jane squealed and squeezed her sister even tighter. _"Emmy!"_ she exclaimed.

Dad staggered back, his hand on his chest. "Two supers in the family..." he mused breathlessly. "God, if only Harriet could be here to see this..."

Once it finally sunk in, Emma's face broke out in a broad grin, and her mind began to race with questions. She was going to have powers _too!?_

"A-am I gonna have the same powers as Jane?" she asked Dr. Redford. She _had_ to know if she was gonna be able to control machines too!

"It's a possibility," the doctor responded with a shrug. "But it's more likely that yours will be unique from Jane's."

A completely unique power, all her own... The thought made her heart flutter with excitement. She thought about the superheroes she'd see on the Hatchetfield News, and all _their_ awesome powers. Emma was going to be like them, but _different._

"When am I gonna get them?" Emma questioned the doctor further, lightly bouncing on her feet.

"Well, you're about six years old now, right?" Dr. Redford questioned her.

Emma shook her head. "Five," she corrected her. "I'll be six in September."

"Then I'd say your powers will awaken in six, seven, maybe eight years," the doctor declared with a nod of finality. "Congratulations, both of you."

The whole rest of the day, Emma thought about Dr. Redford's words. Not only did Jane have powers now, but _she'd_ get them too one day. And they'd most likely be _totally different_ from hers! They could be _anything!_ In a matter of just a few hours, their lives had changed in the most extreme way Emma could possibly think of. Or at least, Jane's had. Emma would have to wait a little longer for her life to really change. Six, seven, maybe eight years. _Then_ she'd get her life-changing moment.


	2. The Super Sisters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A few days after Jane's powers have awoken, the two sisters bond while talking about what the future has in store for them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I said I was gonna alternate between posting chapters of this fic and DTfiles, _and then I didn't!_

"Hey, Emmy! Wanna see something cool?"

It had been about three days since Jane's Nitro Gene had activated, and she had wasted _no time_ in learning to hone her powers. The lights no longer went berserk when she entered a room, that was the _first_ thing she'd taught herself. Of course, she wasn't _completely_ alone in her studies, Dr. Redford had been calling daily to check on her progress and give her advice. Emma still wasn't sure _why_ Dr. Redford was so knowledgeable about supers, but she wasn't complaining. Jane was getting a firm handle on her new powers, and that's what mattered. And of course, she _always_ let Emma watch her practice. And on this lazy Saturday afternoon, Emma had been sitting on the living room couch and playing with her stuffed tiger Snarl when Jane came trotting down the stairs, carrying her favorite sparkly binder under her arm.

"Okay!" Emma agreed excitedly. Anytime Jane asked her that, it meant she had learned some cool new thing she could do with her technopathy.

Jane came skipping over to the couch so she could sit down next to Emma- who scooted over to make room for her, and carefully set her binder down on the coffee table. She looked to Emma eagerly. "How about we watch some TV?" she asked.

Emma tilted her head curiously. TV? What was so cool about that? "But I thought you said-"

Jane smiled. "Just check this out." she said with an excited glint in her eyes.

Emma eyed her big sister intently as she sat up straight on the couch, planting her gaze _firmly_ on the television set sitting across from them. The room was dead silent, and Emma was puzzled. Jane wasn't moving to grab the remote, quite the opposite. She was still as a statue. And then, she gave a good, hard blink. _Kzzt!_ The TV turned on all by itself! Emma's attention snapped to the television, jaw dropped and eyes widened.

"Did _you_ do that!?" Emma gaped, looking frantically between her sister and the old game show rerun that was now playing on the TV. "Without the remote!?"

"Sure did!" Jane replied, looking _very_ proud of herself. "What're you in the mood to watch, kiddo?"

Taking a moment to calm down from the excitement of what just happened, Emma thought the question over. _"Hmm..."_ she hummed in contemplation, stroking over Snarl's back. "Nickelodeon?"

"That's channel 35, right?"

"Mhm."

"Got it, just gimme a second."

Once again, Jane stared the TV down with a steely blue gaze. Emma's eyes darted frantically between her sister and the television, not knowing which one she should be looking at right now. She bounced excitedly in her seat, propping Snarl up on her lap so he could watch too. Jane gave another blink. _Kzzt!_ The channel switched over to Nickelodeon, which was currently airing a rerun of Flipper. Emma squealed with delight, looking to her big sister in awe.

"Told you it was cool!" Jane boasted.

"How'd you learn to do that!?" Emma pressed her.

"Dr. Redford mentioned that TV's were one of the appliances technopaths could control during our last call, and it gave me an idea," Jane explained casually. "While I was at Donna's house yesterday, I spent a few minutes just messing with her TV while she was helping her mom make lemonade."

Emma drummed her hands on the couch. "It's _awesome_ , J!" she exclaimed. "I can't _wait_ until I get my powers!"

Jane sat back on the couch, multi-tasking watching the show with listening to her sister. "Speaking of, what do you think _your_ powers will be?" she asked.

Emma shrugged, fixing her gaze back on the TV. She'd been thinking a _lot_ about what her powers would be, but nothing sounded perfect to her yet. The only one she could really imagine herself having was technopathy, but Emma didn't _want_ her powers to be the exact same as Jane's! She wanted something that was all her own. Something that _no other_ super in Hatchetfield had!

"Well, whatever they end up being," Jane began, catching Emma's attention. "I know we're gonna make a _great_ team."

"Team?" Emma echoed.

Jane nodded. "I've been thinking about what I wanna do once I master my powers," she explained, sitting up so she could grab her binder from the table. Emma knew this binder well, she'd watched Jane fill it up with her plans for when she grew up. She wanted to be something called a _"psychologist"_ , she wanted a nice house, and she wanted to get married and have kids. But when Jane flipped the binder open, Emma noticed a _new_ bullet point that hadn't been there before. "And I've decided that I _do_ wanna be a superhero one day."

"Really?" Emma gasped, her heart hammering excitedly in her chest.

"Yep, and when I do," Jane continued. She looked over at Emma with a sincere, serious expression. "I want you to be my sidekick, Emmy."

Emma was stunned speechless. Jane wanted to fight crime with her? Did Emma really _want_ to be a superhero? Her powers hadn't even awoken yet! What if they were lame, and Jane changed her mind about wanting Emma as her sidekick? But as Emma looked into her sister's eyes, she could _tell_ that Jane meant this. She _really_ wanted this. Emma couldn't help but smile.

"Okay!" she declared. "I'll be your sidekick!"

Jane's face lit up, and she pulled Emma into a tight embrace with an ecstatic squeal. _"Thank you, Emmy!"_ she cheered. "I _promise_ you won't regret saying yes!"

Emma giggled as she pulled back from the hug. "What're we gonna call ourselves?" she asked, her mind racing.

"What do you mean?"

"Our team name!" Emma explained. "Like how superheroes do when they become a group!"

"Oh!" Jane exclaimed with a nod. "I see what you mean! Let's see..."

There was a long stretch of silence (barring the noise from the commercial break on TV) while the sisters pondered their future team name. For a while, nothing came to mind, and Emma was stumped. But then, Emma got the _perfect_ idea, and gasped.

"The Super Sisters!" she proclaimed, throwing her fists up.

Jane grinned broadly. "I love it!" she said, earning an excited squeak from Emma. She liked her suggestion! Jane stared off wistfully. "I can see it now! The master technopath Jane Perkins, and her incredible sidekick _Emma!_ "

Jane gestured dramatically towards her sister, and Emma proudly puffed out her chest, arching her back as she placed her hands on her hips. Real bold and powerful, _just_ like a superhero would do! At least until Jane's hands shot forward and squeezed Emma's sides, causing her to let out a surprised squeal of laughter as she crumpled back onto the couch in a heap of hysterical giggles. Jane continued her ticklish attack as Emma laughed and squirmed wildly, futilely attempting to fight off her big sister's hands.

_"J!"_ she pleaded before dissolving into another giggle fit. _"Stoooop!"_

"Okay, okay, I'm done!" Jane laughed with her, _finally_ removing her hands from Emma's sides and giving her some much-needed mercy.

Jane pulled Emma into another sisterly hug, which Emma happily nestled into as they flopped back on the couch together. They spent the next couple of hours like that, cuddling as they watched TV. Emma wasn't _really_ paying attention to the shows, though. She was too excited. She and Jane were gonna be a _team_ one day! Fighting bad guys, and saving people... Emma could hardly wait for that day. That day when they _officially_ became The Super Sisters.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things are gonna get a bit less cute after this one. Hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Comments, as always, are _very much_ appreciated.


	3. Haywire is Born

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Years begin to pass, and as Jane masters her powers and takes up the mantle of "Haywire", Emma can't help but feel ignored.

_Saturday, October 7th, 1995_

It had been two years since Jane's technopathic powers awoke, and she had all but completely _mastered_ her use of them. She was so casual about it, too. If dad had the TV turned up too loud at night while she and Emma were trying to sleep, Jane could turn the volume down on the thing from _upstairs_. If the old family car started acting up, Jane could will it into running smoothly with little to no effort. She'd even learned how to _talk_ to the appliances. And though Emma _knew_ that was part of being a technopath, she didn't realize how _bizarre_ it would actually look in action. Especially since only Jane could hear them. It was like watching someone talk to the characters from The Brave Little Toaster.

Jane was fourteen now, and thanks to the advice and assistance from Dr. Redford, she was _more_ than ready to be a superhero. She didn't have a costume yet, so she'd fashioned a temporary one out of some old clothes they'd been planning on selling at a yard sale. She even made her own mask, which she looked _awesome_ in. She'd come up with a superhero name for herself, too. After spending a long afternoon looking through a dictionary, looking for cool words that fit her powers, she managed to find a good alias for herself. Haywire, meaning erratic or out of control. Emma was personally _baffled_ by the choice, since Jane's powers were anything _but_ out of control. But she trusted her sister's judgement.

So Jane would go out everyday, her makeshift costume tucked away beneath her clothes, and look for trouble around town. Dad had been worried about letting her go out on her own, but Jane assured him that she'd be able to protect herself if anything happened. Technopathic super, remember? She'd been doing this for a few months now, but she never had any luck. She _rarely_ stumbled upon trouble, and when she did, another more experienced super would swoop in and take care of it. Oftentimes Jane would come home frustrated. _"How the heck am I supposed to go about this!?"_ she'd groan irritably as she walked through the front door in a huff. Emma felt bad for her. She just wanted to help people, but she could never find the right opportunity!

That is, until today.

Emma and her dad were sitting at the kitchen table, eating dinner. Jane was scoping out the town for trouble- as per usual, but she was running a little late. _Very_ late, actually. Jane _never_ missed dinner. And what's more, they were having meatloaf and mashed potatoes, which was Jane's _favorite!_ So her absence was all the more jarring. The sun was starting to set, and Emma was already halfway through her meal. And yet, no sign of Jane.

"She'll be back soon, pumpkin," Dad had said, seemingly noticing Emma's frequent nervous glances towards the front door. "She probably just went a little further than usual today."

"B-but what if she's hurt?" Emma mused, raking her fork across the potatoes on her plate. "Or what if she got lost, a-and she can't find her way back?"

"Okay Emma, here's an idea," Dad suggested. "If Jane isn't back by the time we both finish our dinner, _then_ we'll go out and look for her. Sound good?"

Emma nodded. She could get behind that. Though if it wasn't for the tummy ache she was starting to get from nerves, Emma might've tried to finish her meal faster so they could get going sooner. So she continued to eat at a leisurely pace, still casting the occasional glance at the door. At one point she heard a bunch of police cars speed by the house, sirens blaring. And that only made Emma's anxiety _worse_. But no less than five minutes after that happened, the front door opened and who else but Jane walked in.

"I'm home!" she called into the kitchen as she shut the door behind her. "Sorry I'm late!"

"J!" Emma exclaimed happily, smiling at her big sister as her nerves began to fade away.

Jane skipped into the kitchen, setting her backpack containing her costume down on her regular seat at the table. She was humming contentedly as she prepared her plate, piling mashed potatoes and a few slices of meatloaf onto it.

"You seem pretty chipper, kiddo," Dad observed as Jane sat down, passing her the salt and pepper for her potatoes. "Any luck today?"

_"Maybe..."_ Jane replied, a cheeky smile on her face.

Emma and her dad went silent. "J?" she piped up. "Did you...?"

Jane giggled. Whatever happened while she was out today must've been _big_. "You'll see," she said. "Maybe in tomorrow's morning paper."

Now _that_ intrigued Emma. She spent the rest of dinner- no, the rest of the _night_ trying to pry information out of Jane. But she wouldn't budge. She _clearly_ wanted it to be a surprise, which kind of drove Emma _nuts_. Eventually, Jane went to bed and Emma gave up on trying to get it out of her. But that didn't stop her from lying in bed and thinking about it for hours. It wasn't until Emma had finally drifted off to sleep that she was able to take her mind off it.

~

The next morning, Emma was awoken by the sound of ecstatic cheering and laughter coming from downstairs. With a tired grumble, she peeked her eyes open and turned to glance at her alarm clock. It was only 5 AM! What could _possibly_ be happening at 5 AM to cause such a commotion!?

Then Emma remembered.

_The morning paper._

Suddenly feeling _much_ more awake, Emma scrambled out of bed to get downstairs. Sure enough, when she got to the bottom of the stairwell, the first thing she saw was her dad wrapping Jane in a tight hug. He had a _huge_ smile on his face, possibly the biggest Emma had ever seen on her father. As Jane pulled back from the hug, her eyes met Emma's, and she smiled.

"Morning, Emmy!" she greeted her. "You're up early!"

"What's in the paper?" Emma asked, cutting right to the chase. She _had_ to know.

Without a word, dad grabbed the copy of the Hatchetfield Gazette that had been sitting on the coffee table, and displayed the front page for Emma to see. Her eyes were _immediately_ drawn to the big bold font of the morning's headline.

**_"TEENAGE TECHNOPATH TAKES OUT LOCAL TROUBLEMAKERS"_ **

Beneath the headline was a picture of two darkly-dressed men in what looked like the nearby local grocery store, tied and dangling from the ceiling with long electrical wires. Emma could see the ceiling panel lights attached to the ends of each wire. Her jaw dropped, heart rate skyrocketing.

"Y-you did that!?" Emma gasped, stepping further into the room.

"Not only that, but she made the _front page_ for doing it!" Dad exclaimed, laughing heartily.

"Read her the article, read her the article!" Jane said giddily, bouncing on her feet and lightly swatting their dad's arm.

Dad cleared his throat. _"Look out, Hatchetfield! A new superhero's in town, and she packs a_ big _punch for someone so small."_ he began to read. _"The young dynamo, who calls herself 'Haywire', had been walking home from what she described as 'a patrol around the town'. When she saw two shady individuals pull out a pair of firearms and walk into Hendrickson's- a local Mom & Pop Shop, intending to rob the place. At least sixteen people- including cashiers, were in the store at the time, but thanks to the bravery of this overnight hero, no one was harmed. Haywire, with her powers of technopathy, used the wiring concealed by the ceiling lights to wrestle the pistols out of the gunmen's grips. After what witnesses called 'a brief struggle', Haywire used the wires still dangling from the ceiling to subdue the two would-be robbers. After the perpetrators- identified as James McCormick (37) and Gordon Davis (39), were taken away by the Hatchetfield Police Department, Haywire used her powers to return the lights to their rightful place, no worse for wear."_

Once dad finished reading, Emma squealed with delight and raced forward to hug her sister. _"J!"_ she cheered as Jane returned the embrace. "You finally did it! You're a _real_ superhero!"

"So, what're you gonna do next?" Dad asked, still eyeing the newspaper in awe.

Jane shrugged. "I dunno!" she replied, clearly not too concerned with that matter right now. "Keep doing stuff like that, I guess!"

"Maybe you'll be able to fight the _big_ supervillains one day!" Emma suggested with an elated gasp. "L-like Gale Force or Blood Tiger!"

Dad winced. "How about no supervillains 'till you're at _least_ eighteen, that sound good?"

Jane giggled, pulling Emma tighter into the hug. "That's fine," she agreed. "It's probably better to start small, anyway."

Emma looked up at her big sister with a smile. "Super Sisters, here we come!" she exclaimed, earning a playful hair tousle from Jane.

~

Years began to pass. 1995 was a particularly big one for the Perkins family. Jane was doing more and more superhero work, and in turn becoming more and more famous throughout Hatchetfield. 1995 turned into 1996, which turned into 1997, etc, etc. Emma couldn't go a single _day_ without hearing someone talk about "that little girl super with _so_ much potential". Which was... odd for Emma. It was just so bizarre, hearing people talk about Jane without _knowing_ that they're talking about Jane. Not that people still didn't talk about _regular_ Jane, and again, just how much _potential_ she had. That was a word Emma heard a lot lately, _"Potential"_. Always applied to Jane, though, never to herself. Jane was so smart and empathetic, and Haywire was on the road to becoming one of the biggest superheroes in the whole Midwest. But what was Emma doing? Sitting around, waiting for her Nitro Gene to activate, that's what. As time ticked on, she began to feel so... _useless_. Like she couldn't help _anyone_.

And despite her new, busy lifestyle, Jane was still able to live like a relatively _normal_ teenager. She would talk about her crush on the cute Dan Reynolds boy in her grade within _five minutes_ of recalling how she saved a little girl who'd fallen off a ferry heading to Clivesdale. She'd become the youngest super in North America to be given the prestigious "Silver Ribbon" award for her excellency in heroism, all while she was still working to get her drivers license! And just like dad had requested, she'd upgraded from fighting petty thieves to full-on supervillains once she turned eighteen, which only made the hype around her grow _tenfold_. She'd graduated from Hatchetfield High, and was preparing to apply for a scholarship at the University of Michigan. So presumably Ann Arbor would be singing Haywire's praises soon, assuming they weren't already.

It was the year 2000 now. Emma was thirteen, and she was getting impatient. Her period hadn't began, and thus, her Nitro Gene remained inactive. What was _taking_ so long!? Emma was ready to be on equal ground with Jane, and _finally_ start the Super Sisters. But for now, she was sitting on the couch with her dad and Jane, watching yet _another_ Haywire interview on the Hatchetfield Action News.

_"...and thanks to you, Haywire, Blood Tiger has_ finally _been put behind bars!"_ the reporter on the TV recalled. _"Tell me, who do you have your sights set on next? Which supervillains should be sleeping with one eye open?"_

Jane, in her much more _professional_ looking Haywire costume, smiled as the reporter held his microphone up to her face. _"Well, I'm just happy to put_ any _evil-doers in their place,"_ the Jane on the TV mused. _"But I_ would _like to finally rid Hatchetfield of Madbolt soon. Ever since he came around, the banks haven't seen a moment's peace! I mean, get some variety, man!"_

The reporter chuckled. _"Well said!"_ he exclaimed before turning back to the camera. _"Back to you, Cheryl!"_

The news transitioned to a story about a local mother of five who supposedly found a dinosaur fossil in her backyard, and dad sighed contentedly as he looked at his eldest daughter. "I'm so proud of you, Jane," he said, placing his hand on her shoulder. "Blood Tiger's been terrorizing this town since _I_ graduated high school, and you've already got the bastard in jail within a week of being nineteen!"

Jane smiled sheepishly. "I guess it _is_ pretty cool." she admitted, ever the humble one.

"Pretty cool? Sweetie, it's _amazing!_ " Dad exclaimed, taken aback by her apparent unwillingness to boast. He looked to Emma, who was trying to tune out their conversation in favor of watching the dinosaur fossil story she didn't care about. "Right, Emma?"

"Huh?" she asked, snapping out of her thoughts. There was a pause as Emma processed what he'd just said. She sighed with a nod. "Y-yeah, it's great..."

Emma didn't _wanna_ sound so jealous, but she just couldn't help it! Dad seemed to notice her disingenuous reply.

"You okay, kiddo?" he asked.

Jane gave Emma a playful nudge with her arm. "She's just getting antsy to get _her_ powers!" she assured their dad. "Right Emmy?"

Emma reluctantly met her older sister's gaze, which held nothing but genuine warmth. She gave a weak nod. "Mhm."

Jane put her arm around her younger sibling. "Don't worry, bud!" she said, lightly jostling Emma. "You're _thirteen!_ That Nitro Gene of yours is gonna activate any day now!"

Emma attempted a smile, looking down in her lap. "Yeah, I know."

Jane paused, clearly sensing that Emma was still feeling low. " _Well_ , we've seen all we wanted to see on the news tonight..." she mused before turning to Emma with an impish grin. "Wanna watch Family Feud and make fun of the stupid contestants?"

Emma snickered. Her sister knew her too well. "Alright." she replied.

The two sisters sat back on the couch as Jane used her ever-familiar blinking trick to change the channel. Sure, Emma may have been feeling jealous lately, but that'd _all_ go away soon. She'd have her powers, and then she and Jane would be a team! At least, once Jane graduated from college, and Emma mastered her forthcoming powers, anyway. But the point is, Emma's Nitro Gene would be activated any _day_ now!

Little did Emma know, however, was that it'd happen _much_ sooner than she thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just to clear this up right away so no one gets their hopes up, _no_ , the supervillains Emma mentions in this chapter won't be important later. They're just prop names. Hope y'all enjoyed this chapter! Comments, as always, are _very much_ appreciated!


	4. Two Sides of the Same Coin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emma's powers awaken, but something Dr. Redford says on the matter starts to get to her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it's plant time, babey!!!
> 
> **TW: Another period, including shown blood and vomiting.**

_Monday, November 13th, 2000_

When Emma woke up the next morning, she was _immediately_ aware of the pain flaring in her abdomen. Aching, _horrible_ pain, especially in her legs and lower back. She let out an involuntary whimper as her body began to shake and sweat feverishly. Of _course_ this would happen on a school day! With a deep, labored breath, Emma rolled over to glance at her clock. 6:22 AM, meaning dad would come to wake her up in about eight minutes. Great. Excellent. Just _perfect_. At the very least, Emma figured she had _maybe_ a 50/50 shot of convincing her dad to let her stay home from school today. He could be a bit of a stickler for her and Jane's attendance, but he wasn't _heartless_.

But before Emma could continue to think about her chances, she felt her stomach lurch. Uh oh. Slapping her hand over her mouth, Emma sat up and scrambled to get out of bed despite the cramping sensation in her legs. As Emma stumbled down the hallway and to the bathroom, her vision began to go foggy. Her legs felt like they were made of jelly, and she struggled to keep her balance. But despite how gray and blobby her eyesight had suddenly become, Emma was able to fumble her way into the bathroom and clumsily flick the lightswitch on. Dropping to her knees in front of the toilet, Emma gripped the edge of the bowl and emptied the contents of her stomach into it. After several seconds of _painful_ vomiting, it finally ceased. With another anguished whimper, she flushed the toilet and laid down on the cool tiles of the bathroom floor.

Once the adrenaline of her sudden bout of nausea had worn off, Emma began to notice something... _strange_. It felt like there was something trickling down her leg. Thankfully, once she'd laid down on the floor, her vision had begun to clear up. So she'd be able to see what was happening. Though once Emma looked over at her legs, she suddenly wished she _hadn't_ been able to see. A long, red trail of... _something_ stained the legs of her sweatpants. And once Emma's gaze fell further down, she noticed that the red something had dripped down onto her bare feet.

Oh.

Okay.

She was bleeding.

Cool.

With a sigh, Emma realized what was happening. This was her first period, wasn't it? She'd been hearing _all_ about periods lately in school. Ever since fourth grade, there would always be at least _one_ health class set aside so the students could watch some corny educational video about puberty. They'd always split the class up by gender so they could each watch a separate video, which Emma always thought was kinda funny. Did teachers _really_ think that boys couldn't handle hearing about female puberty, and vice-versa? Anyways, Emma was too worn out to really consider the implications of getting her first period. Right now, all she wanted to do was change her pants, put a pad on (something Jane had thankfully taught her how to do), and try and convince dad to let her stay home from school today.

After Emma had accomplished those first two steps, she slowly and groggily made her way down the stairs, firmly gripping the banister for support. Once she made her way to the bottom of the stairwell, Emma stopped in the doorway of the kitchen. As per usual, dad was sitting at the kitchen table with his cup of coffee and the day's copy of the Hatchetfield Gazette- which of course, contained a front page image of Jane's daring arrest of Blood Tiger from yesterday.

"Dad?" Emma piped up weakly, her legs still shaking.

Dad looked up from his paper. "Morning, kiddo!" he greeted her. He began to eye Emma up and down. "Didn't expect to see you up this early on a school- _GAH!_ "

Emma startled at her dad's outburst. "What's wrong?" she asked, suddenly feeling a little frightened.

Dad sputtered and stammered with wide eyes, pointing down at Emma's feet. Puzzled, she looked down at the floor, and was completely _dumbstruck_ at what she saw. Sprouting up through the floorboards and around her feet, was a cluster of puffy yellow dandelions. With a surprised squeak, Emma stumbled further into the kitchen. But the sprouting weeds followed, continuing to pop up where Emma stepped.

"Wh-what _is_ this!?" she exclaimed, eyeing the little yellow plants as she futilely attempted to hop up onto the kitchen counter.

After his initial shock had worn off, dad rushed over to scoop Emma up into his arms, something he was still _easily_ able to do thanks to Emma's short stature. Once Emma was off the ground, the dandelions stopped sprouting, though the ones that had already grown remained. They even seemed to sway in time with her breathing. After a moment of silence between father and daughter, dad spoke up.

"W-was that happening when you woke up?" he questioned.

Without waiting for answer, he carried Emma back towards the stairwell. Indeed, there were dandelions poking through the gaps in the wood that made up the stairs. How hadn't she noticed!? He followed the trail of weeds back up to the second floor. Again, the dandelions had sprouted up down the hallway leading to Emma's bedroom.

"Would this be a bad time to mention that I got my first-" Emma cut herself off with a gasp, the realization sinking in. She'd been so preoccupied by the bleeding and vomiting, she hadn't even _considered_ what this meant! "-period...?"

A smile slowly grew on dad's face. "...Whaddya say we wake up your sister and go pay Dr. Redford a visit?"

~

"Okay dear, you see that pot of ivy hanging from the ceiling? I want you to focus on it _very hard_."

After a brief scramble to wake Jane up, the family of three had gone down to Dr. Redford's clinic. Though Emma was still tired and in pain, she couldn't help but be excited. The day had _finally_ come! It didn't take a genius to see that her Nitro Gene had activated. Jane had been _just_ as ecstatic as her younger sister. The entire car trip to the clinic, she'd been bombarding Emma with questions, most of which she couldn't really answer. After all, weeds sprouting up where she walked didn't exactly give Emma a great idea of what her powers were. Whatever the case, Jane and their dad were watching as Emma sat upon Dr. Redford's treatment table.

Emma eyed the pot of ivy hanging in the corner of the room, not really understanding what Dr. Redford wanted her to _do_. But before she could question her on that front, the vines that hung out the side of the pot began to quiver.

"Now what?" Emma inquired, her gaze fixed on the plant.

"Make _any_ hand gesture." the doctor simply replied.

Confused but intrigued, Emma raised her right hand up and waved it back and forth. And just like that, one of the ivy's vines slowly raised itself up and waved side to side, in the very same manner Emma's hand had! No, it hadn't done it all by itself. Emma had _made it_ do that! The family of three gasped in elation as the ivy tendril continued to follow Emma's hand movements.

"So, what is this power called?" Emma asked Dr. Redford, making the plant mimic her flicking her wrist, almost _hypnotized_ by the motion.

"This is called _'Florapathy'_ , Emma," Dr. Redford explained. "It means you can control and talk to plants."

"It's _awesome!_ " Jane exclaimed.

Emma finally removed her gaze from the ivy, and the swaying tendril dropped back down. Florapathy... It _definitely_ wasn't the power she was expecting to get, and she wasn't sure how she was supposed to fight _crime_ with it. But still, Emma was optimistic.

"Y'know, it's interesting," Dr. Redford mused, tapping her finger to her chin. "When you think about it, you and Jane are like two sides of the same coin, Emma."

"What do you mean, Kara?" Dad pressed.

"Well, Jane is a technopath, so she can control and talk to machines and appliances," the doctor replied, gesturing to Jane. "And Emma is a florapath, so she can control and talk to plant life. They're such different powers, but also very similar at the same time. It's actually quite _fitting_ that you two would end up with them..."

That gave Emma pause. When she put it like _that_ , Emma didn't feel as excited. Dr. Redford was essentially saying that she and Jane had the same powers, just... _different_. Except Jane's were _so_ much cooler! When Jane was out fighting crime as Haywire, she had _tons_ of different machinery to choose from, and just about all of them could be used to fight effectively. What could _Emma's_ powers do to fight bad guys, aside from _maybe_ wrapping them in poison ivy or something? _Ooh, watch out, evil-doers! There's a new superhero in town, and she's gonna exploit your pollen allergy!_ Maybe it was silly. Maybe she was being ungrateful. But Emma couldn't help but feel... _inferior_.

"You okay, Emmy?" Jane asked, putting her hand on Emma's shoulder and startling her out of her thoughts. "You kinda spaced out there, bud."

" _Oh!_ Uh, yeah, I just..." Emma answered, trying to quickly think up an excuse for her spaciousness. "It's just... taking a bit to really sink in, I guess."

Jane playfully hugged Emma from behind. "Well, maybe once we get home, you can _really_ test 'em out!" she suggested. " _Then_ I bet it'll sink in!"

Emma attempted a smile looking down at her lap. "Yeah, maybe."

Dad stood from his seat and approached the treatment table, ruffling Emma's hair with a soft chuckle. She _wanted_ to be happy, she really did! But she just _couldn't_. Emma had been _so_ ready to finally stop living in Jane's shadow, to be on equal ground with her. But then Dr. Redford said those six little words. _Two sides of the same coin_. She was just like Jane, but _worse_.

Maybe Emma was just destined to always be second best.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Comments, as always, are _very much_ appreciated!


	5. Blossoming

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emma tests out her newfound florapathy in the backyard.

It had been about a week since Emma's Nitro Gene finally activated, and she _still_ hadn't shaken that feeling of inferiority. When Jane got _her_ powers, she'd been able to test them out right away. After all, they had machinery and appliances all _around_ them in the house! But what with it being November and all, Hatchetfield was getting colder and colder. Emma couldn't go outside for too long to test out her florapathy, and they didn't have any plants being raised indoors. The closest thing that Emma could find was the vegetables in the fridge. It wasn't until Emma found herself sitting at the kitchen table, just staring at a head of lettuce for ten minutes like an idiot, that she realized that vegetables weren't particularly responsive. Vegetables by name, vegetables by nature, apparently.

So Emma made a decision. Screw it. She was going outside in the chilly Autumn afternoon to test out her new abilities, no matter _what_ her dad said.

Bundled up in the warmest hoodie in her possession- plus a pair of sweatpants and a scarf for good measure, Emma stealthily snuck out to the backyard while her dad was in the living room helping Jane fill out her college application forms. The cold November air whipped against her face as soon as she stepped outside, but thankfully there was no snow. The sky was dreary and overcast, though, so snow was still a possibility. Raising her hood up over her head to shield her ears from the chill, Emma stepped down from the backyard porch and into the center of the yard.

Emma looked around, considering her possibilities. The Perkins Family's backyard wasn't the most floral place in Hatchetfield. It hadn't been since her mom passed when Emma was only three, apparently she'd been a very passionate gardener. Once she died, dad had stopped maintaining the garden, since he didn't have much of a green thumb. Man, mom probably would've _loved_ her powers... Anyway, point is that there wasn't much to choose from when it came to experimentation. Sure, she had a full lawn of grass that she could try out that "make flowers just by walking on something barefoot" thing on, but it was _far_ too cold out for that. Too cold to walk outside without shoes on, and too cold for any flowers to survive for more than a few days.

For a moment, Emma considered the birch tree growing in the neighbor's backyard, but her gaze soon fell on something that would be _much_ easier for a fledgling florapath like herself to control. The ivy growing on the fence. Emma had managed to control the ivy in Dr. Redford's office quite well, so this would be a perfect place to start! Slowly approaching the cluster of tendrils and leaves on the usually-white-but-currently-stained-beige fence, Emma cleared her mind of any other thought that had been nagging in her head. She stopped a foot away from the fence, staring the ivy down intensely. It didn't take long for the leaves to begin trembling, just as the ivy in Dr. Redford's office had once Emma gained control of it.

Okay, great. Now what?

She _could_ just make it move around like she'd done before, but she'd already _done_ that. She _knew_ she could move it if she wanted to. No, Emma needed to try something new. But what? As the leaves and tendrils of the ivy continued to shiver and shake, Emma wracked her brain for something, _anything_ she knew that florapaths could do. Then she remembered. Much like technopaths could talk to machines, florapaths could supposedly talk to plants! She'd seen Jane hold full conversations with the washing machine before, who's to say Emma couldn't have a chat with this ivy on the fence? Emma took a deep breath, preparing to look _very_ stupid.

"Hello?" Emma attempted to greet the ivy.

No response. The ivy continued to quiver. Hm. Maybe it didn't hear her?

"Hello?" she echoed, raising the volume of her voice slightly.

Once again, radio silence. God, this was silly. But Emma _had_ to persist. She couldn't let her powers be _totally_ useless!

"Uh, I'm supposed to be able to talk to you now," Emma continued, not really sure where she was supposed to take this idle chit-chat. "So if you could give me a sign that you understand me, that'd be _great_."

Just then, the ivy stopped shaking, and went completely slack. Emma groaned in frustration. Had she broken her concentration or something!? But before Emma could try and regain control of the ivy, two tendrils suddenly perked up, and Emma startled back with a surprised yelp.

_Oh? Were you perhaps... talking to me? My apologies, dear! It's just not everyday that someone tries to speak to me!_

Emma stared wide-eyed as a gentle, womanly voice suddenly came from the ivy, which was now gesturing around with the two tendrils as though they were hands. It worked! It _really_ worked! But... now what was she supposed to say? Emma sputtered and stammered in bafflement, trying to continue the conversation, and the ivy gave a warm laugh.

_Don't be frightened now, sweetheart! I'm not gonna hurt you!_

"I'm not frightened!" Emma shot back defensively. "I just... wasn't expecting that to work."

 _Hmm..._ the ivy hummed in contemplation, bringing the tip of one tendril up to the center of the vine cluster on the fence. _You're one of the little girls I've seen playing in this yard before! Emma, correct?_

"Y-yeah...!" Emma replied, _astounded_ that the ivy had been able to retain that information. She sat down in a cross-legged position, gazing up at the ivy in awe. "I recently became a florapath, so I figured I'd try and talk to you first."

The ivy giggled sweetly. _Oh, how considerate of you, darling! I'll admit, it gets quite lonely out here, especially during these colder times!_ it (she?) mused. _All these years, I've watched as you and that other girl- Jane, I believe? played together in this very yard, but I never thought one of you would pay me any mind! Goodness, I remember how little you were a few years back!_

The ivy brought one of the tendrils she was using as a hand up to gently bring Emma's hood down, and Emma couldn't help but smile. She hadn't been expecting such a _warm_ presence from this cluster of vines and leaves that her dad had often referred to as an eyesore! Not to mention, Emma got a strange satisfaction out of _Jane_ being called _"the other girl"_ for once. Emma gently took the ivy's tendril in her hand, carefully inspecting it.

"So, what's your name?" she asked the ivy.

The ivy sighed, and although it didn't have a face of any description, Emma could feel a vague aura of disappointment coming off of it. _I'm afraid I don't have a name,_ the ivy replied sadly. _I'm a plant, we aren't given names like humans are._

For some reason, that just didn't sit right with Emma. "Would you _like_ one?"

The ivy seemed taken aback by the request. _W-well... alright! What did you have in mind?_

Emma eyed her new friend carefully, considering her options. She didn't wanna give her a floral name, that would be too easy. In particular, naming her "Ivy" would defeat the whole purpose of giving her a real name in the first place! She thought about the ivy's sweet demeanor, and her mind quickly wandered to a name that Emma had always associated _with_ said demeanor. Even if the _reason_ Emma had made that connection hadn't been around for ten years now.

"How about... Harriet?" Emma suggested.

 _Harriet..._ the ivy muttered, sounding deep in thought. _Harriet... I like it!_

"Alright, Harriet it is, then!" Emma declared with a nod, only to be cut off by her own giggle as the i- _Harriet_ playfully flicked her nose with a tendril. "So, uh... The other plants around here? Are they friendly too?"

 _Well, I've really only ever spoken to the birch tree next door,_ Harriet replied, pointing to said tree. _But he's very nice, I think you'd like him._

Emma made a mental note to ask if the tree if he wanted a name too, something she _never_ thought she'd find herself making a mental note of. "What about the grass?" she pressed further. "Is it like one entity, or is each blade of grass it's own individual, or...?"

_I'm not completely sure on that front, but I do know that the grass is quite amicable as well._

Emma ran a hand over the grass surrounding her, looking down at it. Maybe she could talk to _it_ , too! "I can grow some flowers for you once it gets a little warmer out!" she told it. "Would you like that?"

The grass gave no response, but she felt the blades she'd stroked flutter under her hand, gently tickling her palm.

 _I'm afraid the grass cannot speak, darling Emma,_ Harriet sighed. _But I know it would appreciate having some extra flowers to bring more bees to the area!_

A harsh, chilly wind suddenly blew past, and Emma could've _sworn_ she saw a few snowflakes fall to the ground a few feet away. She clutched her arms, clinging to the warm fabric of her hoodie.

"I should probably get back inside now." she said, reluctant to leave her new friend.

_That's alright, dear! You do look quite cold, after all. You should go warm yourself up._

Emma stood up, fiddling with the hoodie's drawstrings. "I dunno if I'll be able to come back out here again until after Winter," she explained sheepishly. "But I promise once it warms up again, I'll come back out to visit you again!"

 _I'll hold you to that promise!_ Harriet teased. Emma was _positive_ she would've winked if she had any eyes to speak of. She brought her tendrils up, lightly pushing Emma away from the fence. _Now, hurry back in before you freeze!_

Emma giggled, waving goodbye to her new friend as she walked backwards towards the porch. Harriet returned the wave, before her tendrils returned to their still position on the fence. Just as they were before Emma came outside. As Emma ventured back indoors, she couldn't help but see her powers in a new light. Sure, when she'd thought about them in the context of fighting crime, they seemed so silly and useless. Like something that was _bound_ to be overshadowed by Jane's technopathy. But when Emma considered her florapathy in a more _mundane_ way, they seemed _way_ more interesting! Sure, she couldn't make an outdoor grill breathe _fire_ on someone, but she could at least learn what plants think about on a daily basis! And that's _gotta_ count for something, right? All in all, it made Emma curious about what _else_ her powers could do, something she never really thought about when considering her florapathy a _super_ power.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Comments, as always, are _very much_ appreciated!


	6. Going Against the Grain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emma, now sixteen years old, makes a decision.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, y'all remember that Dearest Emma fic I wrote and then deleted bc it was mediocre and no one read it? Y'all remember the character Nico from that fic? Well, he's here now, and he's not Tony Green's brother anymore bc that was a pointless detail. Anyways, Happy Episode 2 and 3 of Nightmare Time Being Uploaded to YouTube Eve!
> 
> **TW: Weed, and self-hatred**

_Saturday, June 5th, 2004_

"Alright, that'll be fifteen bucks."

" _Fifteen bucks!?_ For this oregano shit!?"

"It's really more like cilantro, honestly. And hey, the Smoke Club kids charge _way_ more for _way_ worse weed. So either pay up, or piss off."

"Fine, whatever."

As the years passed on, Emma hadn't _expected_ to use her powers to grow her own pot and become Hatchetfield High's local dealer, but that's just the way the cookie crumbles, apparently. It wasn't _good_ weed, but hey, they were highschoolers. They'd take what they could get. Not to mention, growing cannabis was just the most practical thing Emma could think to _do_ with her florapathy. Oh _sure_ , she'd been saving her family tons of money on groceries by insta-growing fresh fruits and veggies for at least two years now. But that was for the _family's_ benefit. Cheap, shitty weed was _Emma's_ thing, for no one's benefit except herself. And of course, neither Jane _nor_ dad knew a damn thing about it. Though considering Emma was using her powers to do something that was still _very much_ illegal, she was pretty sure she could be legally classified as a supervillain if she got caught. Whatever. Emma didn't care.

Right now, Emma was in the midst of a deal with her boyfriend Nico's best friend, Jimmy. It was the first day of Summer vacation, and she, Nico, Jimmy, and a few other kids that Emma ate lunch with in the choir room of Hatchetfield High were all celebrating by hanging at the least crowded beach at Starry Cove. It was rather late in the day now. Emma wasn't sure of the _exact_ time, but the sun was _definitely_ beginning to set. Some kids were sitting around a fire pit and trying to roast hot dogs, some were just getting out of the lake, and some were getting piss-ass drunk on the Budweisers that one of the kids stole from their dad's man cave. Emma had been sitting with Nico on the back of his pickup that was parked on the beach when Jimmy approached them, inquiring about her weed.

"Yo, your fuckin' girlfriend is squeezing me dry, Nico," Jimmy grumbled irritably as he pocketed the gram he bought off of Emma. "I think I should be getting a 'boyfriend's best friend' discount or something."

"Not my fault that fifteen dollars is too expensive for you," Emma retorted with a shrug, stuffing her payment into the pocket of her denim jacket. Even if it was _way_ too hot out to be wearing one, Emma pretty much _always_ found herself leaving the house with a jacket on these days. At least if she knew she'd probably be selling that day. "I'm running a business here, I can't go giving out discounts all willy-nilly."

"Oh, business-schmusiness, you're _sixteen_ , Perkins!" Jimmy exclaimed in exasperation.

"You gonna go smoke, or are you just gonna stand here bitching about prices, man?" Nico huffed, draping his arm around Emma's shoulders.

Emma looked to Nico with a smile. Her boyfriend was probably one of the best things to come out of highschool so far. The two had met during auditions for last year's production of Brigadoon (which Emma had been cast as Bonnie Jean in, and she _fucking_ killed it), and they quickly became friends. They were birds of a feather. Both were quote-un-quote "lazy, but gifted" children that the teachers seemed to despise, both were slowly growing more and more disillusioned by their hometown, and both had a mild appreciation for musicals. They'd just been close friends for several months. Then they had a study date, which then turned into a bout of teasing banter between the two, which then turned into light roughhousing, which then turned into a playful peck on the cheek, which _then_ turned into a full-blown makeout session that Emma's dad ended up accidentally interrupting when he walked in to inform them that dinner was ready. Both Jane and _especially_ dad didn't approve of Nico, claiming that he was a bad influence on Emma. Of course, Emma stayed with him anyways. In fact, their disapproval just attracted her to him more, though she couldn't really explain _why_. Maybe she just liked to go against the grain.

"Mind if I just smoke up with you guys?" Jimmy asked.

"Honestly, I _do_ mind, but I know you're not gonna take no for an answer," Emma snarked, earning a snort of laughter from Nico. "So yeah, fuckin' go for it."

With an exclamation of _"Hell yeah!"_ , Jimmy clambered his way onto the pickup's roof, his legs dangling intrusively behind Emma and Nico. Emma returned to her prior position, with her head lying in Nico's lap and his arm draped over her stomach. Emma had been _hoping_ that she and Nico could return to their peaceful moment, but it soon became clear that Jimmy wasn't gonna let that happen.

"So," he piped up as he began to roll his blunt. "You guys hear that Haywire's back from Ann Arbor?"

Aw _fuck_ , here we go. No matter where she was, Emma couldn't escape from Jane-talk.

"Dude, she's been back for like two weeks now," Emma pointed out, _really_ hoping that she could get Jimmy to change the subject. " _Everyone_ knows at this point."

"She only appeared on the news again, like, _yesterday_ ," Jimmy said, befuddled. "If she's been back for two weeks, how the hell would _you_ have known about it?"

_Shit._ Come on, think of an explanation...

"Ain't it obvious, Jimbo?" Nico chuckled sarcastically, looking down at Emma with that cute scrunched-nose smile of his. "Emma's actually Haywire, duh!"

The three teens busted up laughing, and Emma decided to add on to the joke.

"Nah, I wish," she snickered, playfully batting at Nico's chest. "But you're close. I'm actually her sidekick-in-training. I've got _all_ the top-secret info on her whereabouts."

_Technically_ not a lie! But instead of the uproarious laughter that Nico's joke had been met with, Jimmy simply groaned at Emma's addition.

"Now that's just unrealistic," he scoffed, pulling out a lighter and lighting up his blunt. He took a long, slow drag before continuing. "I mean, could you _imagine_ Haywire with a sidekick? _Ugh_."

"What's so unrealistic about it?" Emma asked genuinely, unease bubbling up in her stomach.

"Yeah, it's certainly more believable than her _being Haywire even though we've been seeing her at school when Haywire's been spending the past three years living in Ann Arbor, you dumb fuck_." Nico deadpanned, snatching Jimmy's blunt from his hand and taking a hit of his own.

_"Hey!"_ Jimmy protested, trying to grab his blunt back from Nico. "I was fucking _robbed_ for that shit, who said _you_ could have it!?"

Nico slowly blew the smoke from his mouth before handing the cheap drug back to his friend. "Payment for intruding on our romantic moment," he simply explained, lowering his hand so he could gently trace his nails up and down Emma's arm. The light touch sent a pleasant chill through Emma's body, and just for a moment, she forgot what they were talking about. Only to be _immediately_ reminded of it once Nico spoke up again. "But for real, what's so crazy about the idea of Haywire having a sidekick? _Plenty_ of superheroes have 'em!"

"It's just that... I can't imagine Haywire with some dumb little runt tagging along with her, y'know?" Jimmy huffed with a shrug, gesturing around with his blunt and sending trails of smoke floating around. "I mean, she's been workin' solo since she was _fourteen!_ She doesn't _need_ to babysit some little wannabe!"

"That's... a little harsh, don't you think?" Emma piped up, suddenly feeling _very_ insecure.

"Yeah Jimbo, holy _shit_ ," Nico agreed with a chuckle. It was clear that his objection to his friend's words weren't as _personal_ as Emma's. "Whaddya got against sidekicks, huh?"

"Listen, it's nothing _personal_ , you guys," Jimmy defended himself. "It's just that _statistically_ , superheroes with sidekicks are like, _forty percent_ more likely to die in action than solo heroes. I'm sure _most of them_ are good people and all, but they're just a ball and chain for their heroes to drag around! I can _guaran-fucking-tell you_ , there isn't a _single_ superhero with a sidekick who wouldn't be better off without them. It's just science."

"I mean, I _guess_ you've got a point?" Nico conceded, fiddling with a lock of Emma's hair.

Emma couldn't bring herself to respond. Was that _really_ the popular perception of sidekicks? If that's the case, what would people say about her once she and Jane made their debut as a team? Would she be seen as just some stupid little twerp, following Haywire around for clout? Would she be putting Jane in more danger than she already faced on a regular basis? Emma tried to tell herself that she didn't _care_ what people thought of her. But at the same time, she'd already gone through most of her life with her teachers and classmates dismissing her, giving her those disingenuous looks of pity that just _screamed_ "Oh, I know you're never gonna go anywhere in life, but I just feel so darn _bad_ about it!". Jane was loved, both as her normal civilian self, _and_ as Haywire. Was Emma destined to be hated, both as herself and as Jane's sidekick? For the first time in eleven years, Emma found herself revisiting the question she first asked herself upon finding out that she likely had the Nitro Gene.

...Did Emma even _want_ to be a superhero?

...

Maybe she didn't. Maybe Jane's offer had clouded her judgement, and Emma had tricked herself into thinking that's what she wanted. Maybe she was content just using her powers to grow shitty weed and talk with the plants in her backyard.

Maybe she was fine with always being second best.

This was gonna _destroy_ Jane.

Emma felt tears begin to sting at the corners of her eyes, and she nestled in closer to Nico in an effort to hide them. She felt her boyfriend tuck a lock of hair behind her ear.

"You okay?" he asked softly, wrapping his arms around her.

"Mhm," Emma hummed in reply. She shifted her position so she was sitting up in his lap, snuggling closer to him and burying her face in the crook of his neck. "Just tired, I guess."

"Long day?" Nico teased, lightly jostling her. Emma gave a sad chuckle and nodded. "Whaddya say we ditch these guys, head back to my place, and put on a movie? Then we can... I dunno, do whatever?"

Emma felt Nico's hand slowly begin to travel up her side and towards her chest. She couldn't help but snicker a bit at his _blatant_ lack of subtlety. "Tempting," she admitted, taking his hand and moving it back down to her side. "But I think I'd rather just go home and get some sleep."

"Alright," Nico complied. He placed a quick kiss on Emma's forehead before swatting at Jimmy's legs, still sitting atop the pickup's roof. Honestly, in her moment of existential questioning, Emma _forgot_ that Jimmy was still there. Funny, considering he was the whole reason she'd started spiraling in the first place. When Jimmy raised his hands in baffled protest, Nico batted at his friend once more. "Get the hell off my pickup, dude, we're headin' out."

_"Jesus, fine!"_ Jimmy groaned as he hopped back down onto the beach, already sounding high as a goddamn kite.

Emma slowly removed herself from Nico's lap so he could go and start the car. As she hopped off the back of the pickup and opened the door to the passenger seat, she felt an undeniable feeling of _dread_ over what she was about to do bubble up inside her.

~

"Emmy, you're home! Perfect timing, I was _just_ about to call and ask you something!"

Jane's welcoming voice was the first thing that greeted Emma upon her return home. Looks like what she was about to tell Jane would have to wait another couple of minutes. Whatever. Emma was a textbook procrastinator, she could _handle_ waiting a little longer to tell Jane the devastating news she had for her. Emma noticed her dad sitting on the couch, eyeing her with an unreadable smile. Odd...

"Yeah, what is it?" Emma sighed as Jane approached.

"So, I've been thinking," Jane mused, placing her hands on Emma's shoulders. What... _was_ this? "You've had your powers for a couple of years now, and you've got a pretty good handle on them..."

Oh.

_Oh no._

Emma understood now.

Why now? Of all the times she could've chosen to do this, _why now?_

"Jane-" Emma began to say.

"And I think it's time, kiddo!" Jane exclaimed before she could finish her thought. "I think it's time we _finally_ became a team!"

"Jane, _please-_ "

"I know we haven't spoken about it in a while, but I just couldn't _wait_ any longer!" Jane continued, too consumed by her own excitement to listen. "We can come up with a good alias for you, and I can help make your costume..."

"Jane, I-"

"And we can _finally_ get you out on the field!"

"Jane, will you just-"

"Oh Emmy, I just _know_ you're gonna be a great sideki-"

_"Just listen to me!"_

Emma hadn't meant to shout, but at least she had Jane's attention now. And her dad's. All eyes were on her, and Emma felt her heart begin to race. Maybe she was going to regret this, but at this point she didn't care. It was time Emma made her _real_ thoughts known.

"Listen, J, I _know_ you've been looking forward to this," Emma began, a lump forming in her throat. This was already beginning to feel like a mistake. This was gonna break Jane's _heart_. Emma bit back a sob, shaking as she forced herself to look her sister in the eye. "B-but I..."

Emma took a deep breath, preparing to say those six fateful words that would change everything.

"I don't wanna be a superhero."

That was _one_ weight off her shoulders, at least. Now, for the other weight. How were they gonna react to this? Emma scanned her eyes across the room, trying to read the reactions of her family. Jane... Oh god, _Jane..._ She looked _just_ as heartbroken as Emma thought she would. The light had left her once-excited eyes, leaving them wide with sadness. Emma's gaze flitted over to her father, and her heart sunk. She'd _never_ seen him look so disappointed with her before. He stood from the couch.

"What do you mean?" he asked, sounding more _confused_ than concerned.

"I-I mean..." Emma stammered. She could feel her eyes welling up now. "I meant what I said. I don't wanna be a superhero. Or a sidekick. Or a crime-fighter. Or... _whatever!_ "

The more she said it, the more confident Emma became in her own words. She was rejecting what fate had planned, and for a moment, it felt _amazing_.

"B-but, Emmy?" Jane said, forcing herself to smile as she leaned over to gently lift Emma's chin. "What about the Super Sisters?"

"The Super Sisters was a dumb, childish idea, and we were dumb and childish for coming up with it!" Emma snapped, pushing Jane's hands away. "I'm not a little girl anymore, and I'm tired of you treating me like one!"

Dad and Jane stepped back, startled by her outburst. Emma didn't care anymore. She kept going.

"A-and some _'team'_ we would've been!" she continued bitingly, growing more and more impassioned by the second. "The great Haywire, and her no-name little sister with the world's _shittiest_ powers! Because it's always about _you_ , and what _you_ want! Even if I _did_ become your sidekick, _nothing_ would change! And you wanna know why? Because you're _Jane Perkins!_ Smart, driven, _dependable_ Jane Perkins! And who am I? I'm _nobody!_ "

Emma paused, her breathing ragged. Tears had begun to silently stream down her face. She felt lightheaded from shouting. Dad and Jane stared on wordlessly, doing nothing. No comforting words, no move made to step forward and hug her, not even the _slightest_ change from their shocked expressions. Nothing. Emma released a shaky breath, and looked Jane in the eye once more.

"Haywire doesn't _need_ a sidekick," she said firmly. "And I don't need a hero."

With that, Emma pushed past her family and stormed upstairs to her room. Slamming the door behind her, Emma crawled under her covers, not bothering to change into her pajamas. She'd made her thoughts known, but at what cost? Finally letting the waterworks flow, Emma pondered what to do next. Maybe she could sneak out and text Nico on her slider phone, saying that she decided to take him up on his offer from earlier. But then he'd see her crying, and get all concerned, and she _really_ didn't wanna deal with another emotional opening-up tonight. Emma heard her dad _finally_ say something from downstairs.

"And to think I spent _all that time_ putting up with her bad grades and constant detentions!" he exclaimed, sounding thoroughly _pissed_. "Just because I figured it'd _all_ be worth it once she became a superhero! All that hope! _Wasted!_ "

Emma couldn't even bring herself to cry harder at that. If this was something they disapproved of, _fine_. Who cares? Her teachers and classmates already thought she was a failure, what's two more?

She was _done_ trying to be liked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Comments, as always, are _very much_ appreciated!


	7. What Comes Next?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Realizing that she can't be happy in Hatchetfield, Emma talks with Harriet in the backyard after graduating from Hatchetfield High.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **TW: More self-hatred, parental neglect, and a brief blowjob mention**

_Wednesday, June 7, 2006_

Emma had finished high school, and her dad didn't show up to the graduation ceremony.

It had been two years since that fateful day when Emma had revealed she didn't wanna be a superhero, and the atmosphere of the Perkins household had _immediately_ become more tense. While Jane had tried her best to at least act like a decent sister despite what had happened, dad had begun to treat her more like she was a roommate that he didn't have any strong opinions on. Of course, Emma knew that he _did_ have a strong opinion on her, namely that she was a huge disappointment that would never be as perfect as Jane. Maybe he didn't feel _that_ harshly, but it's definitely how Emma felt about herself. The most she'd gotten from him in the past two years was some homework help when Jane wasn't around, an occasional referral to her as "kiddo", and _endless_ amounts of less-than-subtle prodding to get her to change her mind about becoming a superhero.

Emma got a strange satisfaction out of disobeying her dad nowadays. It made her feel _in control_. So after dad had made it _abundantly_ clear that she was the not-favorite, Emma began to act out more. She skipped school more often. She snuck out of the house to go see Nico/invited him over so they could noisily make out in her bedroom more often. She'd even taken up shoplifting from a nearby 7/11, and she actually managed to get away with it 95% of the time! The only one of her "misdeeds" that he wasn't privy to was her weed growing/dealing. He didn't need to know about that. In a strange way, acting out made Emma feel _alive_. Like she was her own person. Sure, she wasn't Jane Perkins- UMich alumni, psychologist in the making, and overall wonderful person who also just so happened to be one of the most revered superheroes in the whole fucking _country_. But she was _Emma_ Perkins- certified angry teenager who was fed up with Hatchetfield's shit and acted out because of it. Not exactly a glamorous reputation to have, but it was something.

And despite all that, Emma had managed to graduate from high school without being held back _once_.

The ceremony had actually been pretty exciting at first. Emma had been up on the auditorium stage where she'd played Bonnie Jean in Brigadoon a few years prior, watching as the classmates she hated and the ones she tolerated were called up to receive their diplomas. Fiddling with the tassel on her (un-decorated, much to Jane's disappointment) graduation cap, feeling like if she blinked she'd wake up back in the detention room and realize it was all a dream. Then Principal Neilson called her name in a tone that Emma could only interpret as _"Thank fucking_ god, _she's finally leaving!"_. She slowly made her way to center stage, earning obligatory applause from her classmates and the parents in the audience who had no fucking idea who she was. Jane had cheered her name, and Emma had fought off the urge to smile. The principal handed her diploma over, shook her hand, and congratulated her. Emma looked out into the audience, subtly using the rim of her cap to block out the stage lights so she could see better. She'd found Jane, waving and beaming up at her, but she was forced to go back to her seat before she could see her dad.

After the ceremony had ended, Emma was still buzzing from the high of finally being _done_ with the hell that was Hatchetfield High. Graduates, parents, and teachers were milling about all over the place. The front lobby, the parking lot, the courtyard... Emma herself had been waiting near the bus circle when Jane suddenly tackle-hugged her from behind, congratulating her and going on about how proud she was. Emma had turned around- genuinely smiling and laughing for the first time in _ages_ , only to realize that it was _just_ Jane. Dad was nowhere in sight. That's when Jane's face fell, and she revealed that dad had stubbornly refused to attend the ceremony, no matter _how_ much she tried to convince him. Emma hadn't bothered to stick around after that. She'd hastily discarded her cap and gown right there, and stormed home in the dress and stupid fucking _heels_ she'd been forced to wear.

If it wasn't for Jane showing up (and her powers being total shit), then Emma might've done something rash upon arriving home. She'd definitely considered it before, but they'd been nothing more than intrusive thoughts that Emma quickly pushed aside. She didn't wanna hurt anyone, she just needed _comfort_. All these years she'd been telling herself that she didn't _need_ her dad's approval for anything, but it seems that had been more of a lie than Emma truly realized. Right now, she just wanted someone to vent to. Obviously dad was out of the question, god knows he wouldn't care. She'd already stormed away from Jane at the bus circle. Nico had broken up with her a few months ago after a heated argument (Nico had asked Emma out to their senior prom, Emma didn't wanna go, and that had made Nico mad), and Emma wasn't desperate enough to call an ex for a sloppy make-up blowjob for comfort.

Thankfully, Emma still had Harriet, the ivy growing on the backyard fence that she'd become friends with after her Nitro Gene first activated.

Harriet had been the most consistently supportive figure in Emma's life for a good five years now, which was kinda depressing considering she's a literal plant. But still, having the ability to talk to plants came in handy when you were a pissed off teenager who couldn't consistently rely on the human beings in your life to be a source of comfort. And thankfully, Harriet had been nothing but kind and caring to Emma. Emma had been intending to just head out to the backyard, light a joint, and vent to Harriet calmly, not really caring if her dad had caught her smoking weed anymore. But it turns out that Emma has pretty much _no_ emotional filter when she's high. So there she was, sitting against her backyard fence in a nice dress, smoking a blunt, and crying her eyes out to the nearby greenery.

"He didn't even _show up!_ " Emma ranted tearfully for what was probably the seventh time that evening.

_I know, darling, I know,_ Harriet told her gently, running the tendril that Emma had come to recognize as her left hand over her hair. _It truly hurts me to see you like this, dear. You were so excited this morning, too..._

"Serves me right for getting my hopes up..." Emma muttered bitterly, roughly wiping at her puffy eyes. "I really thought he'd be proud of me..."

_Well, if it's any consolation,_ Harriet began. _I'm proud of you, Emma. I know how much of a struggle school was for you._

Emma sniffled. "Thanks, Harriet..." she sighed, taking the ivy's other tendril in her hands.

She heard the sound of a throat clearing, plus the sounds of rustling leaves behind her. Emma turned around to see the neighbor's old birch tree shaking his branches.

_That goes double for me, sprout,_ the tree piped up. _I dunno much about this "school" business, but you sure didn't make it sound easy._

"Thanks, Tex," Emma said, offering the birch a small smile. Tex, like Harriet, didn't have a name when Emma first spoke to him. She'd given him the name 'Tex' because of his vaguely Southern-sounding voice. _Why_ the birch tree that was grown in Michigan had a vaguely Texan accent, Emma didn't know. "It means a lot."

_So, what's next?_ Harriet asked.

Emma took a puff of her joint. "What do you mean?"

_Well, what do you wanna do now that high school's over?_ the ivy elaborated. _You did mention that you wanted to save money for college._

Emma huffed out a humorless laugh, along with the smoke. "Yeah, like _four_ years ago," she scoffed. "I didn't get any scholarship offers, and I'm not spending an arm and a leg's worth of money just to go through another four years of bullshit."

_Then what's your plan?_ Tex pressed further.

Emma briefly debated whether or not she _actually_ wanted to tell Harriet and Tex about this, but it looked like she had no choice.

"Well," Emma began with a reluctant sigh. "For the past few years, I've been saving up money from selling weed and babysitting Tony Green's kid. And yeah, at _first_ I wanted to save it for college, but I think the American education system has made it _very_ clear that it doesn't want me around. So then I considered just saving it up for an apartment downtown."

"But I don't think I'm ever gonna be content with my life as long as I live in Hatchetfield," she continued, looking down at her lap. "So, I'm gonna spend the money I've been saving up on a one-way plane ticket outta here."

_You mean...?_ Tex stammered.

_You're leaving?_ Harriet finished for him, sounding downtrodden. This was the exact reason Emma didn't wanna tell them.

"I-I'm sorry, you guys," Emma choked out, the tears returning to her eyes. "But I just can't keep living like this. I fucking _hate_ this town and like 90% of the people living in it, and I want _out_."

With that, Emma broke down once again, hugging her knees to her chest and hiding her face. She'd expected Harriet and Tex to leave it at that, and return to their inanimate forms without another word. But then she felt Harriet's tendril that _wasn't_ draped over her shoulders comfortingly lift her chin up, carefully tilting Emma's head towards the cluster of leaves and vines on the fence that she'd come to think of as Harriet's face.

_Emma, sweetheart? Look at me?_ Harriet asked gently. _I understand completely. If you don't think you'll be happy here in Hatchetfield, then who am I to stop you from being happy?_

Emma bit back another sob. "Thank you..." she whimpered.

Harriet playfully fluttered the tip of her tendril that was holding Emma's face, tickling under her chin and eliciting a small giggle out of her. _I will miss you very much when you do decide to leave, though._ she said.

"I'll miss you guys too," Emma assured her friends. "I don't know _when_ I'm going, probably after I turn nineteen in September."

_So, we've got another couple o' months with you!_ Tex exclaimed happily. _Any idea where you're headin' when the time comes?_

"I was thinking somewhere in South America," Emma mused, twiddling her burnt-out joint between her fingers. "I've seen pictures, and it looks like they've got some nice hiking trails."

_There's a South America?_ Tex asked with surprise in his tone.

Emma and Harriet burst out giggling before the ivy chimed in with another inquiry. _Have you told Jane and your father yet?_

Emma shook her head. " _Absolutely_ not," she replied. "They don't need to know."

_You're just gonna leave without telling them?_ Tex asked.

"If I tell them, they'll just guilt me into staying," Emma huffed. "It's better I just leave them a note on the day of."

_I suppose you have a point..._ Harriet complied. _As long as you're happy, that's what matters to me._

And Emma could only pray that she _would_ be happy away from her hometown. Away from all the small town gossip. Away from the people judging her behind her back. Away from the disappointed looks from her father. Away from _Haywire_.

She'd be happy, and she'd be free from Hatchetfield.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Everyone say bye to Harriet, bc this is likely the last time we'll ever see her in a HoHF fic :( Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Comments, as always, are _very much_ appreciated!


	8. Goodbye, Goodbye

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emma boards the plane to Guatemala, but not before a surprise visitor comes to see her off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If this reads like it was written by someone who has literally _never_ been in an airport before, that's because it was.

_Wednesday, September 20, 2006_

_"Dear Dad (and Jane, should you decide to show this to her),_  
_For the last couple of months, I've said that I've been looking into colleges that I'd be interested in applying to. Well, that was a lie. I've been making preparations to move. Not anywhere nearby, like Clivesdale. Fuck Clivesdale. No, I'm leaving the country, and heading to Central America. Guatemala, to be specific. I didn't tell you (or Jane) because I knew you'd both get on my case about it. By the time you see this letter, I'll already be at the airport. I might already be on the plane, who knows? It's a one-way ticket, so whether or not I come back for a visit is up in the air. I probably won't, to be honest. Not that I expect you to care about whether or not I'm around, with how you've ignored me for the past 2-3 years. Some father you are. Anyways, I suppose this is goodbye. So, goodbye. Thanks for the first fifteen years of my life, and no thanks for the rest of it._  
_~Emma"_

That was the letter Emma had written her dad and left on the kitchen table before she left for the airport. She'd left _stupid_ early in the morning, too. She didn't have a car (or a driver's license, for that matter), so she had to _walk_ to the airport. Meaning that she had to leave at around 4 AM so she could catch her flight at 7 AM. She'd said her final goodbyes to Harriet and Tex, and written the note up last night. So, here she was. Alone, in an airport, waiting for her gate to be called to board the plane, on the day of her nineteenth birthday. The whole thing felt so... _surreal_. Though Emma didn't know if that was because the reality of her situation was finally sinking in, or if airports were just... _like that_ at 6 AM. Emma wouldn't know, she'd never been in an airport before. Dad never took her and Jane anywhere unless they could easily get there by car. Not that what dad thought _mattered_ anymore.

Emma had been waiting for her gate to be called for quite some time. She'd brought her MP3 player with her, but she was holding off on listening to any music before boarding. It was gonna be a seven-hour flight, after all. She needed _something_ to do to pass the time. So she just sat there, glancing at the clock and nervously bouncing her leg. The hushed, monotonous chatter of the other people waiting to board was starting to give Emma a headache. It wasn't _loud_ , but it'd been droning on for so long that she just wanted to plug her ears and make it _stop_. For some time, that was all Emma could hear. Until one _particular_ voice stood out from the crowd.

"Emmy!"

Emma's head shot up, and she swiveled around to see a familiar blue-eyed, auburn-haired woman rushing towards her.

"Jane?"

Emma rushed to her feet, and could barely take a step before Jane barreled into her with a tight hug. She hesitated to return the embrace. There were _so_ many questions running through her head now, the most prominent of which being:

"J, what're you doing here?" Emma asked incredulously, looking up at her older sister.

"Dad called me an hour ago," Jane explained, her eyes wide and teary. "He said you left a note on the kitchen table. You're really leaving?"

Emma huffed, pulling back from the hug. "Mhm," she answered coldly. "And it's too late for you to convince me to stay, so don't even bother."

"I-I know that, bud, it's just..." Jane stammered, reaching out to tuck a loose strand of hair from Emma's braided updo behind her ear. "Why?"

"Why?" Emma repeated, shocked. " _Why!?_ Have you not been paying attention for the last couple of years!? Dad's been treating me like a total stranger, I _barely_ managed to scrape by in school, I didn't get _any_ scholarship offers, and just about everyone whose ever cared about me in this town now thinks that I'm fucking _worthless!_ "

Emma finished her outburst, her eyes welling up and her breathing growing shaky. Great. She hadn't been _planning_ on crying today, but Jane just _had_ to show up and throw a wrench into things. The fact that Emma was now acutely aware of the other people in the airport staring at her did nothing to help matters. Jane firmly placed her hands on her shoulders.

" _I_ don't think you're worthless." she said.

Emma scoffed. "Sure, if you say so, J." she muttered bitterly, shaking her head.

"Emmy, I mean it," Jane pressed on, looking Emma dead in the eye. "Listen, I'm _sorry_ that I wasn't there when you really needed me. I should've done more to support you when dad wouldn't."

"Little late for that now, wouldn't you say?" Emma questioned bitingly, prying Jane's hands from her shoulders. She wasn't buying this _whatsoever_. "Where was all this sympathy when dad threatened to kick me out of the house if I didn't get my grades up, huh? O-or when that one cop nearly broke my nose for committing the oh-so heinous crime of stealing a bottle of Sprite from 7/11? Or even when Nico broke up with me? _Where was it then, Jane!?_ "

Emma paused her rant, looking down at her feet and gripping the sleeves of her jacket. Her chest was heaving with sobs, and tears had begun to roll down her cheeks. But Emma couldn't bring herself to care. She snuck one more glance up at Jane, who was looking down at her with sad, remorseful eyes.

"Where was it when I told you I didn't wanna be your sidekick?" she added on quietly.

There was a long stretch of silence between the two sisters. Emma didn't know if people were still staring at her, and she didn't care. At this point she was just waiting for her gate to be called so she could cut this conversation short. Then, Jane sighed, and gently tilted Emma's head back up to face her.

"Yeah, it _is_ too late, isn't it?" she chuckled humorlessly. "But that doesn't change the fact that I'm sorry. I have no excuse for not trying harder. I guess I just figured that after high school, things would be easier for you. But whatever it is you choose to do from this point on, I'm gonna do my best to support you."

 _"Jane..."_ Emma choked out, looking up at the sister she loved, but had grown to resent over the years.

Jane smiled down at her sadly. "Just... keep in touch, okay?"

Emma sniffled. "O-okay..." she complied with a nod. Tearfully, Emma pulled Jane into another hug, burying her face into her sister's shoulder. "I love you, J."

"I love you too, Emmy," Jane said, rubbing her hand up and down Emma's back comfortingly. The sisters stood hugging each other for a while, before Jane pulled back, and retrieved a small black box from her purse. "Happy nineteenth, by the way."

Emma took the box from her sister, eyeing it curiously. But before she could open or ask about it, a voice rang out over the loudspeaker.

_"Gate B1 to boarding platform A, Gate B1 to boarding platform A."_

Emma pulled her boarding pass from her pocket, confirming her terminal number. "Looks like I've gotta get going," she sighed, looking back up at Jane. "I _promise_ I'll write to you the _moment_ I get settled in Guatemala."

Jane smirked lightheartedly. "You better," she teased. She gave Emma a light nudge. "Now hurry up and board that plane."

~

After a tedious and slightly confusing boarding process, Emma was _finally_ seated on the plane. Turns out business and first class boards before people flying coach, which is fucking _stupid_. Whatever the case, she was on the plane, _thankfully_ seated in an aisle seat. Emma knew that window seats were the "desirable" seats, but she didn't like the idea of shoving her ass in the faces of random strangers if she wanted to go to the restroom. And the idea of ending up in the middle seat was absolutely terrifying, so yeah, aisle was fine. Her seatmates- or whatever you wanna call them, had already begun to busy themselves the _moment_ they sat down. Window Seat had cracked open a book, and The Sad Sack in the Middle was already fast asleep. Emma had popped her earbuds in, ready to put her music on shuffle the _second_ the plane left the ground. But they still had a few minutes before takeoff. Emma's eyes traveled to the box she'd gotten from Jane in her lap.

Curious, Emma carefully lifted the lid from the box. Inside was a small card, a pair of fingerless gloves, and a hair clip that looked like a daisy. Emma picked up the gloves first. At first glance, they appeared to be your standard black fingerless gloves you'd probably see a biker wear. But upon closer inspection, Emma realized that they were _actually_ a deep, olive green, a favorite color of hers. She slipped them on, wiggling her fingers as she inspected how the glove looked on her hand. It was a comfortable fit, not too loose, and not too snug. Next, she looked at the hair clip. It was cute. A little white daisy with a yellow floral disc. Not what she'd typically wear, but nonetheless, Emma found herself carefully slipping it into her updo. Finally, Emma unfolded the card, which read thusly:

_"Happy 19th, kiddo! Sorry it's not much, but you always say you don't like big birthday gifts. I just saw these while out shopping, and they made me think of you. Dunno if you still like fingerless gloves nowadays, but I know you like this shade of green, so it all evens out! As for the hair clip, well, a wildflower for a wildflower, am I right?_  
_Love you, Emmy!!_  
_~Jane"_

Emma couldn't stifle her tearful smile as she read the note. It may have been a rocky goodbye, but at least Emma had _somewhat_ managed to right things with Jane. She didn't know if she'd ever see Jane in person again, but if this _was_ to be the last time, at least things were alright between them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Comments, as always, are _very much_ appreciated!


	9. Unexpected Company

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emma discovers something new about her powers while trying to defend herself, and makes a new friend in the process.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **TW: Breaking and entering, guns**

_Friday, June 22nd, 2012_

"Emmy, are you _sure_ you don't wanna come?"

"Hey, the bastard couldn't be bothered to come to my graduation, so I don't see why I should go to _his_ funeral."

It'd been about six years since Emma had moved to Guatemala, and things were going surprisingly well. She'd bought a low-income apartment, and had found a pretty handy way to pay the rent. A few blocks away from where she lived, there was this cute little marketplace that saw a _lot_ of business year-round. Emma had remembered how she would use her florapathy to grow fresh fruits and veggies to save her family money on groceries, and realized she had an easy cash cow on her hands. After getting more accustomed to speaking Guatemalan Spanish, she'd made an agreement with the owners of the marketplace, and officially set up shop. It was a pretty tight business, and it made her plenty of money. Money that she could _then_ spend on a hiking trip (or y'know, _rent_ )! Of course, she made a little extra off of selling her shitty weed, but the general public didn't need to know about _that_.

A lot had changed for the Perkins family back in Hatchetfield. Jane had gotten married to _Tom Houston_ , of all people. Seriously, when Emma was younger she would've expected Jane to marry that Dan Reynolds boy she'd dated in high school, and for Tom Houston to marry _his_ high school sweetheart, Becky Barnes. But no, Jane had married Tom, Becky was married to some asshole who went to Sycamore, and Dan Reynolds was apparently engaged to Donna Daggit (one of Jane's childhood friends despite her _also_ going to Sycamore). If Jane's life was a movie, Emma would've called bullshit on some of these plot twists. Anyways, Jane also had a _son_ with Tom last year. Timothy Frederick Houston, born in March of 2009. Emma hadn't attended _any_ of these events. The wedding, the baby shower, the _birth_ of her nephew. She'd been invited to all of them, but she always claimed she couldn't make it and that she'd _"catch the next one"_. But of course, she never did.

And now, the event that Emma was refusing to go to was her dad's funeral.

She'd gotten the word that her dad had passed from a stroke about a month ago, and frankly, Emma couldn't bring herself to feel all that sad. Yeah, he was her dad, and he'd done a good job at it for the first fifteen or so years of her life. But the way he'd all but disowned her after she revealed her lack of desire to become a superhero just _soured_ all those good memories like milk that'd been left out in the sun. This time, Emma wasn't beating around the bush. She wasn't putting on a whole "Oh, sorry J! I'm gonna be too busy to come, I'll catch the next one!" bit. No, Emma was making it _abundantly_ clear that she just didn't wanna attend the old man's funeral, which Jane seemed to reluctantly accept.

"I suppose you have a point," Jane sighed into the receiver. "Well, I'd better get going, it's almost time for me to put Tim to bed."

"Alright, talk to you later, J," Emma said with a yawn, lying back in bed. "Say hi to the little guy for me, 'kay?"

"Of course," Jane complied with a snicker. "Bye, Emmy. Love you."

"Love you too."

The call ended, and Emma set her cellphone down on her nightstand. She stared up at the ceiling of her apartment, taking a moment to reflect. This was an interesting life she was leading. Sure, she wasn't raising a family with some popular ex-jock, but she was living a life of _adventure_ and excitement. Of course, Jane was doing that too, but in a very different way. She was getting her thrills from saving people and fighting supervillains as Haywire, and _Emma_ was getting her share of adrenaline from hiking and having drunken one-night stands. Glamorous? No. Fun? _Absolutely_.

Content- but also very tuckered out from a long day in the marketplace, Emma shut her lamp off and curled up under the covers to get some sleep. She had a big day tomorrow, lots of prep work for her upcoming hiking trip. She was gonna need all the energy she could get. She spent a while just laying in the darkness, waiting for sleep to overtake her. But _just_ when she was about to drift off, she heard... _something_ on the other side of her front door. At first she ignored the noise, figuring it was just one of her neighbors taking out the trash or something. But then she heard a _different_ sound. Like something was rustling around in the lock.

_Click! Creeeaaaak..._

Emma's eyes flew open as she realized what the sound was. Someone had just picked her lock, and opened her front door. She could see light pouring into the room from the open door, with the silhouette of a man standing in the doorway. Heart racing, Emma scrambled to sit up and turn her light on as the intruder shut the door behind himself. Once Emma turned the light on, the man hastily spun around to face her, a surprised look on his face as though he didn't realize she was awake. And immediately, Emma recognized the blonde, bearded man.

"Neil? The fuck are you doing here!?"

Neil North was a man that Emma had one of her aforementioned drunken one-night stands with a few months ago. He and Emma had met at a bar, of course, and she was quick to realize that they had a _lot_ in common. They were both Americans who moved to Guatemala out of a hatred for their hometown. Of course, Neil was from Orlando, Florida, which was probably the only thing worse than being from Hatchetfield, Michigan. Still, they bonded, had a couple of drinks, and proceeded to get frisky in Neil's apartment. It was fun, he was pretty good in the sack, but that was it. Just one night of drunk, mindless sex, before moving on. What _possible_ reason could he have to _break into her fucking apartment!?_

" _Hey_ , Emma..." Neil greeted her awkwardly, as though he wasn't the one breaking and entering. "Didn't expect to see you awake..."

"You didn't answer my question," Emma pressed, dangling her legs off the side of the bed. "What the _fuck_ are you doing here?"

"Right, that..." Neil muttered, fiddling with the hem of his jeans. "So, a buddy of mine recently bought some weed off a woman who he claimed _'overcharged'_ him, and I asked who she was. And _he_ said, 'This chick named Emma Perkins, I bought three grams off of her and she charged me _three-hundred and forty-six_ quetzals for it'."

"So, you're breaking into my apartment because your friend was pissed about my pot prices?" Emma tried to reason.

Neil got a sinister glare in his eye. "Oh no, that's not it," he replied, reaching into the inner pocket of his jacket. "See, I figured if you charge _that much_ for weed, you're probably making some pretty good money, right?"

"I mean..." Emma said in a small voice, not liking where this was heading. "Kind of?"

Neil chuckled darkly, before pulling a _revolver_ out of his coat and pointing it at Emma. Her hands shot up, and her heart rate increased _dramatically_.

"Basically, I lost a ton of money from a bet, and I'm a _little_ short on funds at the moment," he explained casually, his finger on the gun's trigger. "So you're either gonna hand over that money, _or_ I can pop a cap in your head. Your choice, Perkins."

"I-I... I _can't..._ " Emma stammered in shock, staring down the barrel of the gun with wide, terrified eyes. "I spent most of what I had on me on hiking rations."

"Oh, _bullshit!_ " Neil scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Come on, doll, just make this easy for the both of us, and get those _fucking_ quetzals out from wherever you've hidden them."

Emma stood to her feet- hands still raised, and prepared to retrieve her emergency money from the picture frame it was hidden behind. But then it occurred to her. What was she _doing!?_ She was a super, for Christ's sake! She couldn't just let this well-hung asshole rob her like this! She had to defend herself _somehow!_ But... how? Florapathy was a pacifist's power, useless for combat but good for mundane everyday life. But still, she had no choice. Both her life _and_ her well-earned quetzals were on the line, and she'd rather keep them both, thank you very much. She had to think of _something_.

"Come on, what're you _waiting_ for!?" Neil snapped impatiently, jabbing Emma's back with the gun's barrel. "Show me where the money is!"

"R-right, of course..." Emma huffed, trying to keep her cool. _Focus, Perkins... You're a super. You've got the Nitro Gene. You can do this._ "It's right over here."

Emma slowly made her way to the picture frame containing some stock photograph she hadn't bothered to replace on the wall, Neil practically breathing down her neck. Her gaze flitted down to the floorboards, and she noticed the little gaps between each plank. Back when her powers first awoke, she'd caused dandelions to sprout up from the floorboards in her kitchen. Of course, those flowers had sprouted beneath her feet because she was _barefoot_ at the time, and Emma didn't exactly have time to remove her socks right now. But maybe, just maybe... she could _will_ something into growing through the floor with her thoughts alone... Something a bit more _dangerous_ than dandelions.

_Hey, I dunno if you can hear me down there,_ she thought as she reached out for the picture frame. _But I could really use some help right about now. So if you could just... sprout up from the ground and help me, that'd be great._

Just then, Emma felt movement beneath her feet. A small, barely noticeable tremor. Her heart nearly leaped into her throat.

_Yes, that's it!_ she internally encouraged the moving... thing. _Come on, you can do it! I know I haven't really practiced with my powers outside of growing produce, but I know you can sprout up!_

Another tremor, slightly to her left this time. This one was _much_ bigger than the last. Big enough for Neil to notice it, apparently.

"The hell was that?" he asked, removing his gun from Emma's back and allowing her to steady her nervous breathing. "There _better_ not be another fuckin' earthquake starting..."

_You're almost there!_ Emma continued, her hands on the frame. _Whatever you are, just break through the floor and help me!_

Right on cue, the tremor seemed to intensify, and the floorboards to Emma's left seemed to swell. Emma and her assailant turned to face the raised floor. With a few cracks and splinters, the swelling grew wider, and Emma could see a hint of light green poking up through the dirt below. Whatever this thing was, it was certainly... _bigger_ than she'd anticipated. She was just trying to summon some vines to wrestle the gun out of Neil's hands and throw him out, like Jane would do with electrical wiring. This thing appeared to be a _pod_ of some sort.

"Oh, _I_ see what's going on here!" Neil exclaimed, nodding his head and pointing his gun back at Emma's. 'You're a super, aren't ya?"

"You bet your ass." Emma replied firmly, unflinching as she watched the pod-like thing try to rise up from under the floorboards.

"That's cute, that's _real_ cute, Emma," Neil said, his tone smug and patronizing. "But I'm not scared of a little-"

Before Neil could finish his taunt, the thing that had come to Emma's aid finished breaking through, and the two stumbled back with a gasp. Emma looked up at the plant- no, the _creature_ that was now looming over her with a dropped jaw. A massive Venus Flytrap with a wide, green pod for a head and long fangs that were dripping with a sweet-smelling drool. At the base of it's pod was a collar of deep green leaves, with a long stem that traveled towards the ground. At the thin base of the stem were two wide, fan-like leaves, and two long, leafy vines that swayed like cobras preparing to strike. The flytrap growled and snarled, it's maw parted open slightly to reveal the pod's pink-ish interior. It had to be at _least_ six feet tall, a good foot taller than Emma. Suddenly, she felt more intimidated than relieved.

"Holy mother of _shit_ ," Neil gaped breathlessly, staring down the flytrap. Then, he regained his composure and pointed his revolver at the plant. "Wh-whatever! I'm not scared of some goddamn vegetable!"

The flytrap tilted it's pod, seemingly inspecting Neil's gun despite not having any visible eyes. Casual and unwavered, the flytrap whipped out one of it's vines and effortlessly _snatched_ the revolver from his grip. Before Neil could make a move to grab it back, the creature simply popped the weapon in it's mouth, and Emma watched as it was dissolved by the acidic interior. The flytrap smacked it's... lips? and leaned forward to loom over the now-visibly frightened Neil, growling like an angry dog.

_"You... bad man..."_ the flytrap said in a guttural growl. Apparently it could talk? _"You leave... now..."_

Without giving Neil any time to react, the flytrap wrapped it's vines around his legs and lifted him off the ground.

"H-hey, what the...!?" Neil sputtered as he was turned upside down in the creature's grasp. "What're you-!?"

The flytrap barked at Neil, effectively shutting him up barring a few frightened whimpers. The creature looked thoroughly _enraged_ despite it's lack of any discernable facial features. It removed one tendril from the intruder's legs, and reached over to the window on the other side of Emma's bed. It grabbed the bottom of the window, and attempted to pull it up, only to react with a confused grumble when the window didn't open. It pulled at it a few more times, each attempt met with another baffled grunt. After a couple more tries, the creature looked to Emma with an odd trilling noise that just _screamed_ "Hey, why won't this open?".

"It, uh... It's locked..." Emma explained awkwardly, pressing herself against the wall. "Y-you need to flick those two little latch things to the side."

The flytrap observed the window for another second before seemingly noticing the "two little latch things", and flicking them aside with a grunt that sounded vaguely like _"Oh, I see now"_. Once the flytrap had the window unlocked, it _yanked_ it open and tossed the scared-silent Neil out into the alley. Derisively spitting a gob of the sweet-smelling saliva at him, the creature _slammed_ the window shut, leaving Emma alone with it. Though this beast may have saved her life- and her income, it was still a human-sized flytrap monster that was _in_ her apartment. And with Emma still being shaken from the encounter with Neil, she found herself trembling as she hid her face behind her hands, frightened of what the flytrap would do next.

But much to her surprise, she felt one of the creature's leafy tendrils gently brush against her arm. She reluctantly peeked out to see the flytrap maneuver it's pod so that it was looking up at her, despite how much shorter she was. Almost like it was _submitting_ to her. The monster tilted it's head to the side like a curious puppy, and placed it's tendril on her shoulder with a bird-like coo.

"H-hello..." she greeted the flytrap nervously. "Um... Thanks for saving me..."

The creature opened it's mouth up wide, and Emma found herself flinching away for a second. But then she saw it's long, sharp fangs... fold themselves back into the pod, allowing the flytrap to close it's mouth all the way. It looked much less threatening now, more sweet and docile. The creature gently reached down and lifted Emma's hand with it's vine, and placed it atop it's pod. It was surprisingly fuzzy, with a coating of barely-visible hairs that reminded Emma of the skin of a peach. Was the creature asking Emma to pet it? Letting her guard down, Emma ran her hand over the plant's pod, and it began to purr softly. She couldn't help but smile. Curious, Emma reached out with her other hand and scratched the underside of the creature's pod like one would do with a cat. The flytrap gave an elated trill, and leaned forward to nuzzle against Emma's stomach. She gave a startled squeal before dissolving into a giggle fit.

"You're _adorable!_ " she cooed in delight, gently lifting the flytrap's pod up so she was eye level with it. "You're just a big sweetheart, aren't you?"

_"Mmmmmrrrrrrrrrr..."_ the flytrap purred soothingly, playfully bumping Emma's nose.

"Have I _always_ been able to summon you like that?" Emma asked excitedly.

_"Ah nah..."_ the creature replied in a decidedly _'I don't know'_ kind of tone.

Emma gave a contemplative hum, her mind racing with different questions. "My name's Emma," she told the flytrap. "Can you say that? _'Emma'?_ "

_"Emmmmmm... Emmmmmm..."_ it grumbled. Emma smiled at her new friend's guttural- yet still sweet and goofy sounding voice. _"Mmmmmaaaa? Emmmmm-mmmmmaaaa? Em-ma?"_

"That's right!" Emma exclaimed. "What about you? Do you have a name?"

The creature seemed to think the question over before shaking it's head. _"Nah-ah."_

Well, now that just wouldn't do at all. "Would you like one?" she asked.

The flytrap's featureless expression seemed to brighten. _"Uh-huh!"_ it replied with an eager nod.

Emma observed her new flytrap friend, watching as it lashed it's vines side to side like an excited puppy wagging it's tail. She could just be lazy and give it a generic and/or dog-like name, like "Chomper" or "Fido", but it deserved something more exciting than that. It seemed to be a bit more animalistic than a plant like Harriet or Tex, so human names were out of the question. Even if the thought of this big carnivorous plant monster having some white-bread name like "Todd" was _immensely_ funny to her. She thought about how the flytrap seemingly couldn't close it's mouth until it folded it's fangs back into it's mouth. Before then, it's jaw was completely slack.

Actually...

"How about... Slack-Jaw?" Emma suggested. "How's that sound?"

_"Slagg-Jaaaawww..."_ the flytrap mused, like it was testing the name out. _"Hmmmm... Yah! Slagg-Jawww!"_

"You like it?" Emma tried to confirm, earning another eager nod in reply. "Okay! Slack-Jaw it is, then!"

Slack-Jaw gave another happy trill before lightly bumping his pod against Emma's forehead, eliciting another giggle out of her. She hadn't expected to make a new friend today, _especially_ not one so green and leafy, but she certainly wasn't complaining. Emma enjoyed her life in Guatemala, but she had to admit it could get kind of lonely sometimes. But now, she had Slack-Jaw. This sweet, loving creature that had saved her from being robbed, and possibly shot. And what's more, Emma had used her powers to summon him _herself!_ It almost made her wonder...

What other cool things could her powers do?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PLANT BOY HAS ARRIVED. Hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Comments, as always, are _very much_ appreciated!


	10. End of an Era

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emma receives some bad news, and has to make a decision.

_Monday, December 11th, 2017_

So, to say that today had been kind of stressful for Emma would be a bit of an understatement. On top of running on only a few hours of sleep thanks to a recent bout of insomnia, she was headed to Tikal via bus for another hiking trip. Hiking prep was stressful enough on it's own, but the bus driver just _had_ to drive like shit and nearly send the entire vehicle flying off the side of a mountain as well. Thankfully, the bus _didn't_ crash, and Emma had arrived at the hostel she was staying at safely, though incredibly frazzled. She was tired, she was hungry, and she'd just survived one of the most terrifying experiences of her life. All Emma wanted to do was summon Slack-Jaw for some much-needed comfort, and get some sleep. After setting her things down and plugging her phone in, she'd plopped down face-first on the shitty hostel mattress, taking a moment to breathe and center herself.

And then her cellphone started ringing.

"God, fucking _damn it!"_ she groaned, her voice muffled by the bed. "Fuck _off!_ "

Now thoroughly irritated, Emma sat up and grabbed her phone off the nightstand. Jane was calling. Probably to say hi and low-key humble-brag about her latest achievements as Haywire. Though Emma's relationship with Jane had improved _somewhat_ since leaving Hatchetfield, she was _not_ in the mood to talk to anyone right now. Still, with an exhausted sigh, Emma answered the call and held the phone to her ear.

"Hey J," she greeted her sister tiredly, rubbing her temples with her free hand. "Listen, can you call back later? I just arrived in Tikal, and I'm _really-_ "

Emma cut herself off, realizing that she was hearing _crying_ on the other end. Not in Jane's voice, but that of a man's. A somewhat... _familiar_ sounding man, though Emma couldn't recall whose voice it was. Before she could ask, the man spoke up.

"Hey Emma, this uh... this is Tom Houston," he began, his voice hoarse and tearful. Jane's husband? Why was _he_ calling her? From _Jane's_ phone, no less? "I... I've, uh..."

"Listen dude, I've had a _really_ shitty day," Emma huffed impatiently. "I dunno _why_ you're calling me from Jane's cell, but I'd like it if you could just spit it out already so I can get some sleep."

Tom paused on the other end, breathing shakily. "I-I've got some bad news, Emma," he said. "Are you sitting down?"

"Yeah...?" Emma replied, suddenly growing nervous.

"Jane..." Tom started to say, pausing to choke out another sob. "Jane's dead, Emma."

Everything seemed to freeze. The gentle breeze just outside the window. The chatter of fellow travelers on the other side of the door. The breath in Emma's lungs, and the heartbeat in her chest. Stopped. All replaced by muffled white noise as Tom's revelation hit Emma like a speeding train. Silent, yet overwhelming.

"What...?" Emma asked, breathless.

"She was in downtown Hatchetfield, in the middle of a fight with Tundra Floe," Tom explained, audibly trying to steady his voice. Emma- despite her state of utter shock, wracked her brain to remember who Tundra Floe was based on what Jane had told her. From what Emma had heard, Tundra Floe was a relatively recent villain in Hatchetfield, a snotty blonde woman with ice and water powers. "The _entirety_ of Main Street had been coated in ice from the fight. Tundra Floe froze Jane's feet to the road, and a car came speeding down the street. Jane... couldn't use her powers to stop the car in time because of the ice, a-and... she was hit..."

Tom broke down again, and Emma felt her eyes begin to well up with tears of her own. Jane Perkins- Emma's older sister who always tried her damndest to be supportive despite their differing ambitions in life, the mother of an eight year old son, and perhaps the greatest superhero Hatchetfield has ever known, was dead. And she hadn't even gone out in a noble fashion. No, she was killed in action by a sheet of ice, and a car. Likely with tons of people watching from the sidelines, as Hatchetfielders were wan to do during fights between supers. Jane was gone. Emma would never see her again.

"T-Tom, I-" Emma stammered, her head spinning with thoughts and emotions.

"The funeral services are in a month," Tom cut her off. "There's gonna be a public one in Oakley Park to commemorate Haywire, and a private one in the cemetery for friends and family. You're invited to the private one, though I won't get my hopes up."

Without so much as a goodbye, Tom hung up, leaving Emma in silence. Mind a blur, she set her phone back down on the nightstand, laid down on the mattress, and began to cry. What was she supposed to do now? Jane had died before her life and career could truly begin, leaving behind a husband who'd recently returned from his second tour in Iraq, a young son, a town that was _undoubtedly_ in shock from the event, and a younger sister with nothing to her name. Emma was the last surviving Perkins- aside from Tim, who took the Houston name anyway.

How was Jane the one to die early?

Emma had never expected to make it to _thirty_ , and yet here she was. In a run-down hostel in Central America, surviving but not really _living_. Jane hadn't even reached forty yet, and her life had been cruelly cut short. And yet, Jane had things to _live for_. A husband, a son, a town that depended on her. Emma had... _nothing_. The days events came rushing back to her. The bus driver haphazardly swerving down the road, making sharp turns that logically should've sent the entire bus flying off the cliffside. And Emma wasn't even the only person on the bus, there had been at least thirty other people. People who likely had ambitions that Emma lacked.

What would become of Hatchetfield now that their star hero was gone? The local villains were _undoubtedly_ celebrating Haywire's demise by now, the thought of which made Emma _sick_. Sure, there were other superheroes in Hatchetfield, but they weren't _nearly_ as renowned as Haywire had been. As much as Emma _despised_ her hometown, it was still the home of her last remaining family. It was a small family, just a brother-in-law and a young nephew, but it was still _her's_. And they were Jane's family too. With a start, Emma realized just what she had to do. She had to keep that family safe, for Jane's sake.

She had to go back to Hatchetfield.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case you're curious, Tundra Floe is _not_ a prop name, she _is_ a character from Hatchetfield canon, and we _will_ be meeting her in a future HoHF story. Hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Comments, as always, are _very much_ appreciated!

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you all enjoyed this first chapter! Comments are _very much_ appreciated!


End file.
